Russell Brand update as he enters plea to sex offence charges in court
Russell Brand has today pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault in court.
The comedian and actor, 49, is now set to go on trial at the Old Bailey accused of alleged attacks on four separate women, including one allegation of rape, one allegation of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two further counts of sexual assault.
Brand spoke only to confirm his plea, as well as his name, date of birth and address before being granted conditional bail during a hearing at Southwark Crown Court.
Brand arrived at court wearing a grey blazer and matching trousers. He wore a pinstripe black shirt, exposing most of his chest, and a pair of brown boots. Brand wore sunglasses and held onto a black notebook as he made his way inside. He did not speak while being surrounded by dozens of reporters and photographers, as well as police officers, while walking into the court building.
Brand, who will celebrate his 50th birthday next Wednesday, was charged with the offences by post last month. At a previous hearing on May 2, prosecutor Suki Dhadda read a brief outline of the case against him. Westminster Magistrates Court heard the TV star allegedly attacked the first accuser at a hotel during the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, Dorset, in 1999. It is also alleged he grabbed a second woman's forearm and tried to drag her into a male toilet at a television station in 2001.
The third accuser is a TV worker who met Brand in London's Soho in 2004. And the fourth is a radio worker who was allegedly indecently assaulted after meeting Brand while he was presenting Channel 4's Big Brother's Big Mouth between 2004 and 2005.
Brand, who has been living in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, with his wife Laura Gallacher and their three children, was born in Essex before rising to fame as a stand-up comedian. He later moved into presenting, hosting TV and radio shows for a range of channels, including the BBC and Channel 4.
He hosted Big Brother's Big Mouth, a spin-off to hit show Big Brother, as well as the NME, MTV and Brit awards ceremonies, before starring in a string of Hollywood movies, including Get Him to the Greek. The born-again Christian has since reinvented himself as an 'anti-woke' political podcaster, amassing millions of online followers on the online video platform Rumble.
The case follows an investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches in September 2023, which revealed multiple serious allegations against him.
It was then announced Brand was charged by the Metropolitan Police Service in April. Following the announcement from the Met and the Crown Prosecution Service, Brand released a video in April in which he said he had never engaged in non-consensual activity and was grateful for the opportunity to defend the charges in court.
In a message at the time to his 11.3 million followers on X, previously known as Twitter, he said: "I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was, was a rapist. I have never engaged in non-consensual acts."
He added: "I am absolutely open to and welcome the opportunity to defend myself because my innocence is indefatigable."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Hollyoaks boss reveals how Sun's Soaps Editor sparked supervillain Clare Devine's return
HOLLYOAKS boss Hannah Cheers has revealed what sparked off iconic supervillain Clare Devine's return - and it turns out it's me. The executive producer had just been announced as the Channel 4 soap's new boss and was in full planning mode for the show's changes when I ran into her at an awards show last summer. 2 And like I do every time I see a soap boss - I used my time wisely by asking/demanding/begging for the return of my favourite characters. But for the time ever it actually happened. I sat down with Hannah on set earlier this month for a set visit where she revealed how our conversation in the hotel bar had sparked off the most iconic comeback since Kim Tate popped back to Emmerdale. She told me: 'It was you! It was the conversation we had in the hotel in Manchester that started it off. 'We were talking and you said, when are you going to bring Clare back? And I was like, oh my god, it's a million dollar question, everyone talks about it. 'And I said to you, because at the time we didn't have any plans, because obviously we were working towards the transition, and I was trying to filter people out, and trying to re-engineer stories, and trying to make sense of all of that, and knew that it wasn't possible right there and then. 'But the interesting thing that I said to you was, tell me what it is about Clare that is so important to you, and so iconic, and you said, because she's the only character who actually doesn't give a hell about what she does. She enjoys being evil and so I took inspiration from that with Grace's story.' She added: 'In terms of Clare, you know, again, I took on board massively what you said about she enjoys being evil and we're never going to come away from that because she does. 'However, in bringing Clare in 2025, what I spoke to Gemma about right at the beginning was 'I'm not doing this and just bringing in the third iteration of like Clare that is two dimensional and that only has that layer and level to her. 'Not that she didn't in the past, but she, as you said, she rarely had true, true feeling and true kind of like selflessness. She had nothing, nothing selfless about her. 'And she doesn't now, except now she has a reason to have experienced and make herself vulnerable and be susceptible to that. 'So we do see a different layer. She doesn't like showing it.' Viewers know that Clare's return has seen her arrive with a child - Tori - who she and DI Banks effectively kidnapped from her grandfather Dodger. 'Clare absolutely sees herself as that child's mother,' Hannah added. 'And that's also what's quite enjoyable. And it's so galling to everyone else in the community. So that has given her the chink in the armour.' And Hannah also revealed that Clare will play a big part in the 30th anniversary in October - and clash with Tori's great-grandfather - serial killer Jez Blake. 'Well, yes, obviously we've got two kind of Hollyoaks titans here,' she teased. 'We've got kind of very iconic Hollyoaks faces. And it's not an accident that they are both in the show in the run up to the 30th anniversary.' There will also be a classic Hollyoaks stunt for the 30th - which won't be limited to one episode - more a celebration over the entire month of October. Hannah said: 'You can't do a Hollyoaks commemoration without some kind of spectacle. So there will be a stunt.' And it's not just the Blakes that Clare has to deal with - her original, tiny nemesis Tom Cunningham is back to take her on. 'How could we possibly bring in Clare Devine and not have her original nemesis in the show?' Hannah laughed. From Hollyoaks to Hollywood James Corden played a caretaker in the early days of the soap. The former American TV host doesn't have much positive to say about his time on the soap, claiming it was "hell on earth." Since his short-lived time on the show he has gone on to bigger things including smash hit comedy Gavin and Stacey. Rachel Shenton joined the soap as aspiring glamour model Mitzeee Minniver in 2010. Over two years her character was sent to prison, got pregnant and had a number of romantic affairs. Since leaving Hollyoaks she has won an Oscar for best live action short film, The Silent Child. Rachel has also starred in White Gold and All Creatures Great and Small Emmett J. Scanlan played gangster turned anti-hero Brendan Brady. Emmett played the love interest of Steve Hayes, with their romance delighting fans until it turned violent. Since his departure Emmett has appeared in Peaky Blinders, The Fall, Gangs of London and even appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Emma Rigby joined Hollyoaks when she was 15 as Hannah Ahsworth. Hannah's eating disorder storyline was the first of it's kind on TV while other plots included being caught in a fire, gangland drug dealing and running away. Since leaving the soap in 2010 Emma has gone on to star in ABCs Once Upon a Time in Wonderland as the Red Queen. Other roles include guest appearances in Death In Paradise, Ripper Street and Fresh Meat Nico Mirallegro got his big break with Hollyoaks starring as emo Barry 'Newt' Newton. Nico's main storyline in the soap was developing schizophrenia which culminated in a suicide pact. He left the soap in 2010 and went on to star in My Mad Fat Diary, Our Girl, Rillington Place, The Ark and Common, Penance, as well as the Mike Leigh movie Peterloo and was nominated for a Bafta for his role in period drama The Village. Ricky Whittle used Hollyoaks as a stepping stone to break America. He played one of the soap's resident hunks, Calvin Valentine, from 2006 to 2011 - when he was killed off at his wedding. After leaving the soap Ricky cracked America starring in teen drama The 100 and America Gods. He also appeared in Strictly Come Dancing in 2009. Warren Brown joined Hollyoaks in 2005 for a year as evil Andy Holt. His stint on the show consisted of date rape storylines and a crime spree, before eventually being killed off. After leaving Hollyoaks, Warren became a big hitter in TV playing DS Justin Ripley in Luther, as well as major roles in a number of dramas including Liar, The Responder, Homefront and Good Cop. Wallis Day played Holly Cunningham in the soap for years before leaving. In 2021 Wallis won the role of Batwoman in DC's series, taking over from Ruby Rose. 'Again, it's a kind of nod to the past and celebration of all things Hollyoaks. 'Tom has the upper hand to start with, which I think is what's so surprising about this story. And there's a surprise reveal of how we first finds Tom.'
Scottish Sun
4 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Body of Brit found five months after he disappeared along with his friend on Italian hiking trip
THE body of a Brit hiker who vanished during a trek in Italy five months ago has now been found. Aziz Ziriat, 36, went missing alongside Samuel Harris, 35, in the Italian Dolomites on New Year's Eve. 5 Aziz Ziriat's body has now been found 5 Rescue crews were seen working to try and find the hikers in Italy Credit: soccorso alpino trentino 5 Aziz Ziriat, 36, went missing alongside Samuel Harris, 35 Credit: PA 5 His body was found today after rescuers launched a search mission months ago to find the missing Brit. The Trentino Alpine and Speleological Rescue team are now recovering Aziz's remains. His pal Harris was found dead back in January, and his body was covered under deep layers of snow. The pair failed to get on their flight back home on January 6, and they had stopped answering their phones. Aziz's mobile phone, card and glasses were all discovered close to Harris' body, but no sign of him was found. Family and friends of the pair flew out to the Italian region to help with the rescue efforts. The last known location of the duo was near a mountain hut called Casina Dosson, close to the town of Tione Di Trento. Their families later revealed the men planned to go between huts in the mountain range for a special New Year's hike. Video shared with The Telegraph showed Aziz preparing to hike the mountain range with Sam before the fatal climb. In the clip, he films the mountain range as well as a stone shelter where the friends are believed to have stayed overnight. He says: "Happy New Year! Woken up to some delightful sunshine, blue skies. "There has not been a cloud in the sky since we got here, which is slightly unnerving but also quite jokes." He adds: "I want to attack this today, get up into some of the 3,000 bits which are up yonder. "Looking forward to a day scampering, we are not taking our packs today, for the last two days lugging up this God-forsaken valley, another day frolicking before schlepping over to the next valley." Rebecca Dimmock, the girlfriend of Aziz, called the pair "experienced hikers". She revealed she last spoke to her boyfriend on New Year's Day - shortly after the video was recorded, according to BBC reports. Rebecca said: "He said his phone was about to die but he would write back to me properly soon. "I know they made it to the hut, and they were drinking red wine, but he said it was freezing." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Body of missing Brit found abroad after he vanished on New Year's Day
The body of a Brit who vanished on New Year's Day during a hiking trip with his friend has been found. Aziz Ziriat, 36, went missing alongside his friend Samuel Harris, 35, in the Italian Dolomites at the start of the year.
