Shortly after the release of "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," Kristen Bell told interviewers that she had to "intimidate" her co-star Russell Brand to make sure he understood she was not interested in a sexual relationship with him during the shoot.
Her recollections of her time with the British actor and comedian have resurfaced in the wake of allegations that he raped and sexually assaulted a number of women at the peak of his fame.
A joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches highlighted the stories of four women — including one who was 16 years old at the time — who say Brand either raped or sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013.
Brand has denied the allegations.
During an interview with the Scottish Daily Record, Bell said she was aware of Brand's "womanising" and made it clear to him that she was not going to tolerate his advances.
I made it really clear from the beginning that I would sock him in the b***s if he tried anything. So he was intimidated," she told the paper.
Bell said she initially found the comedian attractive, but lost that attraction when she read up on how he treated women.
"I had no idea who he was until I Googled him and saw what a little stinker he is with the ladies. He kept reminding us every 10 minutes of how famous he is in Britain by going, 'It's so weird not to be recognized here. ,'" she told The Daily Mail. "He didn't fancy me at all and in fact went out of his way to tell me how grotesque I was. And I certainly didn't fancy him because he's so high-maintenance – he took longer in make-up than I did ."
She said the actor "didn't try to mess with me or get in my pants," in another interview, adding that "he knew I would lop his n**s off."
Despite making it clear she was hypervigilant around Brand, she also praised the actor, saying during press tours that she "loved" working with him.