Russell Brand sparks hilarious theories after suggesting actress Penelope Keith was behind JFK assassination

The bizarre theory, which has left many scratching their heads, surfaced after Brand shared a screenshot of the document on social media, which he later deleted. The document apparently disputed the long-held belief that Oswald was the assassin, and instead claimed that the actress known for The Good Life and To The Manor Born was the real culprit.

The actor wrote, quoting the document: “JFK Files: ‘We are sure, without uncertainty, that the assassination of President Kennedy WAS NOT carried out by Mr Lee Harvey Oswald or any member of any organized crime syndicate.”

He then attached a screenshot of the document that adds: “We can hereby name the assassin. The lone shooter in Dallas, Texas on 22 November 1963 was Miss Penelope Keith, star of the BBC television program The Good Life.”

While it remains unclear whether Brand genuinely believed the outlandish claim, the post quickly sparked a wave of humorous reactions. People on X (formerly Twitter), including users like @BigBillMoon, turned the theory into a viral joke, suggesting all sorts of outlandish ideas for why Penelope might have been behind the assassination. Some even went as far as imagining her as a secret agent, infiltrating high-stakes politics in the 1960s.

This all began after Donald Trump made headlines by opening a batch of files related to the JFK assassination, but no one could have predicted that it would be Penelope’s name that would dominate the headlines.

As the internet gleefully dunked on Brand’s apparent mix-up, they shared some of the funniest responses, poking fun at the bizarre idea. One user quipped: “So it turns out it wasn’t Lee Harvey Oswald—just Penelope Keith casually plotting the assassination in between tapings of To The Manor Born?”

Another posted a picture of Penelope smiling in front of an old building, with a caption: “Keir Starmer tried to have this photo suppressed in the British media, but I'm not afraid. This picture proves that Penelope Keith was photographed in Dallas on November 22nd 1963. You can clearly see the street behind her, and her evil grin as she plans her crimes.”

One commented: “Surprised to discover that To The Manor Born was a drama all about Penelope Keith being forced to enter the MI5 protection program and leave her home after she assassinated JFK. You learn something new every day.”