Actor Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape charges
British actor and comedian Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty in a London court to charges of rape and sexual assault relating to four women more than two decades ago.
Brand, once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday and denied all five criminal charges.
The 49-year-old has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations were first aired two years ago.
British prosecutors announced in April that Brand had been charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault against four women between 1999 and 2005.
Brand, who previously gave his address as being in England but also lives in the US, is due to stand trial in June 2026.
He spoke only to confirm his name and enter his five not guilty pleas, before leaving the court with his lawyer and some companions.
After the charges were first announced, Brand said in a video posted on social media that in his younger days, before getting married and having children, he had been a fool and a sex addict but "what I never was, was a rapist".
In the 2000s, Brand was a regular on British screens, known for his flamboyant style and appearance.
He worked for the BBC and starred in a number of films including Get Him to the Greek before marrying Perry in 2010. They divorced 14 months later.
By the early 2020s, he had faded from mainstream culture, appearing primarily on his internet channel where he airs his views on US politics and free speech.
In September 2023, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 TV's Dispatches show reported allegations of sex offences against him. Police began investigating some weeks later.
Brand, who said in 2024 he had become a Christian, rejected those accusations.
British actor and comedian Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty in a London court to charges of rape and sexual assault relating to four women more than two decades ago.
Brand, once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday and denied all five criminal charges.
The 49-year-old has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations were first aired two years ago.
British prosecutors announced in April that Brand had been charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault against four women between 1999 and 2005.
Brand, who previously gave his address as being in England but also lives in the US, is due to stand trial in June 2026.
He spoke only to confirm his name and enter his five not guilty pleas, before leaving the court with his lawyer and some companions.
After the charges were first announced, Brand said in a video posted on social media that in his younger days, before getting married and having children, he had been a fool and a sex addict but "what I never was, was a rapist".
In the 2000s, Brand was a regular on British screens, known for his flamboyant style and appearance.
He worked for the BBC and starred in a number of films including Get Him to the Greek before marrying Perry in 2010. They divorced 14 months later.
By the early 2020s, he had faded from mainstream culture, appearing primarily on his internet channel where he airs his views on US politics and free speech.
In September 2023, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 TV's Dispatches show reported allegations of sex offences against him. Police began investigating some weeks later.
Brand, who said in 2024 he had become a Christian, rejected those accusations.
British actor and comedian Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty in a London court to charges of rape and sexual assault relating to four women more than two decades ago.
Brand, once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday and denied all five criminal charges.
The 49-year-old has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations were first aired two years ago.
British prosecutors announced in April that Brand had been charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault against four women between 1999 and 2005.
Brand, who previously gave his address as being in England but also lives in the US, is due to stand trial in June 2026.
He spoke only to confirm his name and enter his five not guilty pleas, before leaving the court with his lawyer and some companions.
After the charges were first announced, Brand said in a video posted on social media that in his younger days, before getting married and having children, he had been a fool and a sex addict but "what I never was, was a rapist".
In the 2000s, Brand was a regular on British screens, known for his flamboyant style and appearance.
He worked for the BBC and starred in a number of films including Get Him to the Greek before marrying Perry in 2010. They divorced 14 months later.
By the early 2020s, he had faded from mainstream culture, appearing primarily on his internet channel where he airs his views on US politics and free speech.
In September 2023, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 TV's Dispatches show reported allegations of sex offences against him. Police began investigating some weeks later.
Brand, who said in 2024 he had become a Christian, rejected those accusations.
British actor and comedian Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty in a London court to charges of rape and sexual assault relating to four women more than two decades ago.
Brand, once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday and denied all five criminal charges.
The 49-year-old has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations were first aired two years ago.
British prosecutors announced in April that Brand had been charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault against four women between 1999 and 2005.
Brand, who previously gave his address as being in England but also lives in the US, is due to stand trial in June 2026.
He spoke only to confirm his name and enter his five not guilty pleas, before leaving the court with his lawyer and some companions.
After the charges were first announced, Brand said in a video posted on social media that in his younger days, before getting married and having children, he had been a fool and a sex addict but "what I never was, was a rapist".
In the 2000s, Brand was a regular on British screens, known for his flamboyant style and appearance.
He worked for the BBC and starred in a number of films including Get Him to the Greek before marrying Perry in 2010. They divorced 14 months later.
By the early 2020s, he had faded from mainstream culture, appearing primarily on his internet channel where he airs his views on US politics and free speech.
In September 2023, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 TV's Dispatches show reported allegations of sex offences against him. Police began investigating some weeks later.
Brand, who said in 2024 he had become a Christian, rejected those accusations.
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Guesting on a themed edition of Mastermind shortly before his series debuted in 2005, Eccleston pointedly replied, when being introduced as the Doctor, 'Well, for now'. When Gatwa was cast in 2022, he said: 'This role and show means so much to so many around the world, including myself.' However, those fans have largely been let down. In addition, Gatwa was reportedly not universally popular on set in Cardiff, where the series has been filmed since Davies took over. Rumours circulated about difficult behaviour during production. 'I think he has sights beyond [ Doctor Who ] … I think it was a stepping stone for him, rather than wanting to do it,' an insider claims. 'Nobody particularly knows him.' Having tasted Hollywood in the Barbie movie and Steven Spielberg's Masters of the Air, Gatwa's ambitions appear to have always stretched further than Tiger Bay. Neither does he have the mainstream recognition of previous incumbents. Gatwa could probably walk down the street relatively unnoticed. It's partly his prior CV – his breakthrough part was a supporting turn in Netflix teen drama Sex Education – and partly down to his Doctor lacking a signature onscreen look. Changing costume (and even hairstyle) for each adventure has been a mistake. From Tom Baker's scarf to Matt Smith's bow tie, the best Doctors had a sartorial trademark. Gatwa's Doctor never settled on one. Lastly and most crucially, Gatwa has been ill-served by the scripts. Davies might be one of our most decorated screenwriters, but when it comes to the Whoniverse, he's lost his golden touch. Overcomplicated storylines have paid off poorly. Rip-roaring thrills have been in short supply. Self-reflexive writing and fourth-wall breaks, with meta-references to the show's fan base and the villainous Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) whispering asides to camera, are symptoms of a show increasingly in thrall to its lore and impenetrable for newer viewers. Davies has deliberately swerved classic monsters this time around. Daleks and Cybermen haven't appeared during his current stint. Instead, we've been underwhelmed by the baffling return of obscure old enemies – The Rani, Omega, Sutekh, the Toymaker – who mean nothing to most viewers. The show has entered the realm of fan fiction, rather than primetime entertainment with broad appeal. Anybody who hasn't been watching for decades won't have a clue as to what's going on. Scripts have forgotten ye olde maxim of 'show not tell', with too much proselytising and expositional dialogue. Naysayers believe Davies has focused far too much on identity politics and culture wars issues, rather than family-friendly fun. Plots have featured incels and imperialism, coercive control and conspiracy theorists, non-binary aliens and discussions of pronouns. Crowbarring those topics in has sparked a backlash, with the series being dubbed 'Doctor Woke'. At times, watching it has felt like being thwacked around the head with a progressive pamphlet. Loading Doctor Who hasn't just lost its way. It has lost much of its audience. Overnight ratings for the BBC have plummeted to 1.6 million, down a whopping 10 million from their 1970s heyday. The Tennant era recaptured those glory days, averaging 8.3 million and often hitting 10 million. Even with catch-up viewing taken into account, recent figures have struggled to reach 4 million. Uncertainty about the show's future has increasingly crept into coverage, resulting in a depressing death spiral. You can't blame Disney for wanting to cut its losses after a reported £100 million ($208 million) investment. Gatwa lasted a mere 18 episodes, putting him behind only Eccleston as the shortest-serving full-time Doctor ever. Did he depart of his own accord or was he pushed? Three months ago, tabloids claimed he had 'quit' to pursue other projects and would be written out. 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