Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges by 4 women

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4 days ago

Actor and comedian Russell Brand has formally pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault.
On Friday, BBC reported that Brand arrived at at Southwark Crown Court in London for a hearing in which he denied the charges of rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault against him. The charges relate to four separate women, for incidents that allegedly took place between 1999 and 2005.
Brand, 49, arrived with his lawyer, Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky, who successfully defended Kevin Spacey against sexual assault allegations in 2023. After denying the charges, Brand put his sunglasses back on and walked out of the dock, flanked by security guards as he strode past photographers and avoided questions lobbed his way by reporters and camera crews, according to the outlet.
The hearing took place a month after the Metropolitan Police Service announced that the Crown Prosecution Service authorized it to charge Brand. Following an investigation, the Get Him to the Greek actor is facing one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault.
Brand is accused of raping one woman in Bournemouth, England, in 1999; indecently assaulting a second woman in London in 2001; orally raping and sexually assaulting a third woman in London in 2004; and sexually assaulting a fourth woman in London between 2004 and 2005.
Detectives began investigating Brand in September 2023 after receiving a slew of allegations, which were reported as part of a joint investigation by The U.K. Times, The Sunday Times, and U.K. network Channel 4's television series Dispatches that same month, according to a press release from the Metropolitan Police Service.
"The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers," Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who led the investigation, said in a statement at the time. "The Met's investigation remains open, and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police."
Brand denied the allegations from the Times' article through a YouTube video titled "So, This Is Happening." The former actor, who has stepped away from Hollywood and become a controversial YouTube wellness guru, said he "absolutely" refuted the "serious allegation," claiming that all of his relationships were "consensual." He added that the claims were "extremely egregious and aggressive attacks."
He also denied the allegations against him in an Instagram reel.
"I've always told you guys when I was young and single, before I had my wife and family... I was a fool, man," he said in the video. "I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an imbecile. But what I never was, was a rapist. I've never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes."
He concluded his response by thanking his followers for their "continuing support," plugging his show, and then stating that he is grateful to have "the opportunity to defend these charges in court."The former star has courted controversy throughout his career before he stepped out of the limelight. These days, he is most commonly known as a controversial YouTuber who often discusses American politics and platforms conservative pundits like Tucker Carlson. He previously garnered criticism for peddling conspiracy theories and misinformation about COVID-19. He also became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, whose inauguration he attended in January.
Brand is on conditional bail until his trial begins on June 3, 2026.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly