Russell Brand arrives at court to enter plea in rape and sexual assault case
Russell Brand was seen arriving at Southwark Crown Court on Friday morning hours before he is expected to enter his plea in a rape and sexual assault case.
The actor and comedian, 49, is appearing in court on Friday after being formally charged by the Metropolitan Police last month with rape and sexual assault.
Brand did not speak to reporters and looked straight ahead as he entered the court building.
He was charged in April with one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault, relating to four separate women.
The Get Him To The Greek star was released on conditional bail and has returned to court for his plea and trial preparation hearing.
Brand has been accused of sexual assault and controlling behaviour over several years at the height of his fame.
The allegations against Brand were first published in September 2023 when the alleged victims came forward.
He has maintained his innocence, and previously stated that any encounters were 'consensual', while declaring he was 'never was a rapist'.
In a video posted on X, the comedian said: 'I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I'm incredibly grateful for that.'
He said in the clip: 'I've always told you guys that when I was young and single before I had a wife and family, who are there just out of shot. I was a fool, man, I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
'I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an imbecile but what I never was, was a rapist.'
Brand made his first court appearance earlier this month at Westminster Magistrates' Court, facing allegations of offences against four women from 1999 to 2005.
He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address, and that he understood his bail conditions.
The charges against him, as heard in court, include allegedly raping a woman in a hotel room when she attended a Labour Party conference in 1999.
It is alleged that when the woman went to the bathroom after a theatrical event in Bournemouth, Brand removed some of his clothing and later pushed her on the bed, removed her underwear, and raped her.
Another woman accused Brand of indecent assault after being allegedly grabbed by her forearm by him as he tried to drag her into a male toilet at a television station in 2001.
The third alleged victim, the court heard, was a TV worker Brand met in Soho 21 years ago, and he is accused of grabbing her breasts before allegedly orally raping her after pulling her into a toilet. More Trending
The fourth complainant is a radio station worker who met Brand during his time working for Channel 4 show Big Brother's Big Mouth between 2004 and 2005.
It's alleged that Brand grabbed her by the face with both hands and pushed her against a wall, kissed her and then grabbed her breasts and buttocks.
Brand was charged following an investigation, after he was accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse by several women, in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches, in September 2023.
Posting on his X account at the time of the allegations, Brand said he welcomed the opportunity to prove his innocence.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Russell Brand's wellness festival axed as customers seek refunds after rape charge
MORE: Russell Brand's derelict pub has 'ripped the heart out' of local community, neighbours say
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Labour won't be forgiven for failing to tackle immigration
If the 2024 election was in part a rebuke of the Conservative Party's total failure to control migration, 2029 is shaping up to be a far more painful experience for the Labour party. Sir Keir Starmer may have hoped that his immigration white paper, coupled with the fall in net migration triggered by the last policies put in place by the outgoing Tory government, would buy him breathing space until the salience of migration fell again, and he would be freed to talk about other topics. If so, this week should have shredded any such illusions. Both legal and illegal migration are running out of control, with justifiable public anger over the scale of the Government's failure to impose order. More than 1,000 migrants crossed the Channel on Saturday while British and French rescue boats stood by to escort them in. So great was the demand to be transported into Dover that coast guards put out appeals for fishing boats to assist vessels in trouble as Border Force and lifeboats were overwhelmed by the effort of rescuing migrants. Stunning images from France, meanwhile, showed the value of Sir Keir Starmer's much vaunted European cooperation in 'smashing the criminal gangs'. French police were seen simply standing by and watching as migrants loaded their boat for the crossing. The current situation is a travesty in which migrants are encouraged to endanger themselves in order to manufacture a rescue on to British shores, while the French state – which has no greater wish to play host and benefactor to these people than Britain does – does little to stop them. Sir Keir cannot divest himself of blame for this absurdity. His scrapping of the Rwanda deterrent directly removed one of the few ways in which Britain could bring itself to diminish the flow. As a career human rights lawyer and Left-wing activist, the Prime Minister is almost uniquely ill-suited to the task of devising an alternative. He has surrounded himself with like-minded individuals, not least the Attorney General Richard Hermer, and set as his North star the gold-plated adherence to the outdated international rules that allow the vile trade in people to be carried out. If Britain wishes to smash the gangs, it must smash the incentives that bring people here, tackling illegal employment, particularly in the gig economy, radically tightening the criteria for asylum, deporting those whose claims are denied, reducing the grounds for appeal, and ultimately revisiting the idea of a system in which claimants who arrive illegally are transferred to a safe third country. The current illegal migration system suits no one. It enriches dangerous criminals, selects those who have the resources to make the journey to Britain rather than those most imperilled, undermines public safety and support for legal migration, and will, if unchecked, destroy what sympathy for the refugee convention remains. This would be a tragedy. Britain is a country that is open to those who are genuinely in need. It is the task of the Government to make sure that this hospitality, and the taxpayer, are not taken advantage of. Yet even on legal migration – supposedly filtered and controlled – the evidence is that it is manifestly failing to do so. Figures published this week show that the state is handing nearly £1 billion each month in Universal Credit payments to households containing at least one foreign national. While some may have married British nationals, the fact that these payments have doubled over the past three years suggests that something has gone badly wrong at the heart of our benefits system. Despite the apparent beliefs of many in Westminster, Britain is not the world's welfare state. Moreover, the rationale for migration is not that it is good for the migrant, but that it is good for Britain. The people of this country accept willingly new members who pay their way, contribute, and work to assimilate into our society. To find ourselves instead asked to pay for the upkeep of those who arrived on our shores courtesy of a system that was supposed to provide economic and fiscal strength is an illustration of utter failure. Just as measures must be taken to control illegal migration, the flow of low-skilled, low prospect migrants into Britain must also be curtailed. The criteria for entry should be considerably tightened, eligibility for benefits confined to those with citizenship, and pathways to both that status and indefinite leave to remain tightened considerably, with rules put in place to ensure that only those who make a positive fiscal contribution qualify. The legitimacy of the British state is based on the consent of the governed to the rule of their elected representatives. After 15 years of votes to lower migration, and 15 years of broken promises, patience is beginning to wear thin, with surging support for Reform UK emblematic of an increasing rejection of the current political establishment. Unless Sir Keir can find the iron within himself to crack down on both legal and illegal migration, he is unlikely to be granted a second term in Downing Street.
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
Passengers cheer while ‘drunk' mum and daughter Tiktok stars forced off plane
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Tiktok influencers were chucked off a UK flight to Jamaica after they swore at staff and had to be 'strapped down to their seats'. The mum and daughter, who ran the account @angel777987, were filmed causing chaos on the aircraft which took off from Manchester on May 28. After a two hour delay, the pair began drinking and quickly began shouting and swearing at staff – with the content creator daughter demanding to get off mid air. Fellow passenger Mandy, who captured the footage on @balloonsbykandykrush, said the pair were asked to calm down throughout the flight. But the daughter refused to sit in her seat in row 22, and staff were forced to strap her down. Mandy told MailOnline: 'The airline made her sit back down again and the captain announced that due to reckless behaviour there will be a delay in Jamaica as she will be arrested. 'They then put Angel to the back of the rows, strapped her in the seat. They cuffed her and then the famous TikTok woman, Angel, I believe, got arrested.' The flight landed in Jamaica six hours later than the original time after the crew was forced to make an emergency landing in Canada due to the mum and daughter's behaviour. They were arrested once the plane landed, with footage showing passengers cheering as the pair are lead away from their seats by police. The mum begins shouting in the face of one of the officers while Angel can be seen smiling and telling passengers 'bye'. More Trending Angel's Tiktok account has since been closed. Before the argument broke out, a video uploaded to the account shows Angel drinking with her mum at the airport. The pair can be seen posing with their drinks, with Angel captioning the clip: 'In Manny airport me and mum are on our way to paradise guess where?' Metro has contacted TUI for comment. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: EasyJet passenger hurls homophobic abuse at staff before dramatic punch-up MORE: Teenager dies after 'dangerous' social media rugby trend MORE: Deaf woman, 25, who took her own life was 'failed' by mental health services
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Murder inquiry launched after woman stabbed to death in Croydon
A murder investigation has been launched after a woman was stabbed to death in south London. Officers were called to Frith Road, Croydon, at 9.07am on Saturday, the Metropolitan police said. The London ambulance service and London's air ambulance treated two injured people. The woman, who is in her 20s, died at the scene, despite the efforts of a teenage boy to help her, police said. A man in his 30s was taken to hospital with minor injuries. He has since been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in hospital, Scotland Yard said. Initial inquiries suggest the incident started at a nearby address, before escalating on to Frith Road, the force added. Supt Mitch Carr said: 'This is a tragic incident where a young woman has lost her life and our thoughts are with her loved ones. 'I especially want to thank the members of the public, including a teenage boy, who bravely tried to help the victim. 'We believe that this was an isolated incident, but understand that this news will shock the local community. Officers will remain in the area over the coming days and we would ask anyone who has concerns to speak with them.'
