London Museum Removes Exhibit Said to Be Russell Brand’s Hair

The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & UnNatural History in Hackney removed the exhibit after Brand’s conviction, Variety reported. In a statement to the publication on Wednesday, November 11, Wynd said: “I took them straight off display and have no desire to hear his name again – he has no place in my museum of horrors.” He did not say what would happen to the item. Its authenticity has never been independently verified.

The hair reportedly entered Wynd’s collection after a woman said she had shaved Brand at a salon in Camden Town and sent the hair, along with a handwritten account, to the collector. A 2016 account of the museum’s collection mentioned the donation. The exhibit had reportedly been on display for years.

Brand, 51, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, November 9, after a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The offenses involved four women and took place between 2004 and 2009. He was also ordered to remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.

The museum, which opened in 2014 on Mare Street, is known for unusual historical objects, natural specimens and celebrity memorabilia. Its collection includes exhibits on human hair, mythical creatures and unusual animal specimens, as well as shrunken heads, dodo bones and a lock of hair attributed to Elvis Presley.

The conviction has also prompted publishing consequences. Pan Macmillan and Hodder & Stoughton confirmed they were withdrawing Brand’s books from sale, The Guardian reported. The titles include Recovery: Freedom from Our Addictions, Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped and his memoir My Booky Wook.