Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges
British comedian and actor Russell Brand pled not guilty to multiple charges of rape and sexual assault at a court in London on Friday.
In April, 49-year-old Brand was charged with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, and one count of oral rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault. The charges relate to four separate women.
The alleged assaults took place between 1999 and 2005. He has previously denied all the allegations.
Brand walked into the courtroom at Southwark Crown Court wearing a dark suit and an unbuttoned, pinstripe shirt. He spoke only to confirm his name and enter five not guilty pleas.
A trial date has been scheduled for June 3, 2026.
Detectives started investigating the actor in September 2023 after receiving allegations following a joint investigation led by three British media outlets – The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4's 'Dispatches.'
According to London's Metropolitan Police, it is alleged that one woman was raped in 1999 in Bournemouth, southern England; one woman was indecently assaulted in London's Westminster area in 2001; a woman was orally raped and sexually assaulted in Westminster in 2004; and a woman was sexually assaulted between 2004 and 2005, also in Westminster.
Brand has appeared in numerous Hollywood films and hosted radio and TV shows in the United Kingdom.
More recently, he has sought to frame himself as a social commentator and promoted conspiracy theories online, particularly on YouTube, where he has amassed almost 6.8 million subscribers.
CNN's Sophie Tanno contributed reporting.
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