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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Russell Brand Gets Trial Date After Entering His Plea For Rape Charges
Russell Brand's trial for rape and assault charges is set to commence by 2026! The comedian's second half for next year is already booked as his trial date is now set to June 2026 following his not-guilty plea concerning his ongoing sexual assault lawsuit. Russell Brand was accused of several incidents of sexual assault, which allegedly occurred between 1999 and 2024, involving four women. Following the actor's not-guilty plea deal today, Friday, at a London Court, he will now attend a pre-trial review on May 20, 2026, with respect to his actual trial scheduled for June of the same year. On Friday morning, Brand arrived at court dressed in a dark gray suit and a striped button-down shirt, which he wore unbuttoned to showcase his chest adorned with layered silver necklaces. He completed his look with aviator sunglasses, maintaining a serious demeanor as he prepared to enter his plea. Per TMZ, Brand's conditional bail still stands, as confirmed by the presiding judge. The British celebrity had initially emphasized his innocence when the charges trickled in last month. The consequences of Brand's alleged actions did not come in small measures, especially in his professional life. As noted by The Blast, his scheduled three-day wellness festival billed for July was quietly canceled. The festival was reportedly centered on camping, spirituality, healthy living, and environmental discussions. Hundreds of tickets had already been sold, with prices reaching up to £210, while some early buyers snagged theirs for £160. However, following the accusations and eventual charges, reports show that the event has been quietly canceled, with the ticket links now no longer operational. A cancellation notice on one of the ticketing platforms advised ticket purchasers to reach out via phone or email for further details. The podcaster, while reacting to the controversial charges against him, insisted that his sexual relations have always been consensual. In his Instagram video statement following the allegations, the podcaster expressed a belief that society is fortunate to live in a time when skepticism toward the British government is on the rise. He further suggested that the law has become a weapon used against individuals and that knowledge is not exclusive to him. Reflecting on his past, he described himself as a "fool," a "drug and sex addict," and an "imbecile." However, he firmly denied the label of "rapist," maintaining that he has never participated in any non-consensual activity. Brand's accusers all shared different accounts of their experience with him. The first plaintiff accused him of raping her in a hotel room during a British Labour Party conference in 1999, while another alleged that he orally raped her in a bathroom stall at a party. Additionally, a third woman claimed that he kissed her without consent and forcefully touched her breast and buttocks. In an April episode of his podcast, shortly before his rape charges became official, Brand reflected on his marriage to Katy Perry, discussing the nuances of their relationship. Brand shared intimate details about the dynamics of their marriage, giving listeners a glimpse into that chapter of his life. "What can I tell you is, when I was married to Katy Perry, she's like, not entirely normal, because she's an extraordinary, massive star — but she's not weird or off-key and wasn't involved in anything nefarious as far as I could tell," he shared. Brand noted that some marriages do not work due to absolutely "normal human reason," which does not diminish his respect for the pop star in any way. He also commented on their opposing political ideologies, which he described as a normal occurrence, even for married couples. In his words: "I obviously disagree with [Perry's] political views," Brand continued. "But I probably disagree with some of my wife's political views, my beloved wife, Laura Brand's political views. So, you know, you always disagree with people, don't ya?" The estranged couple tied the knot in 2010 and headed for divorce the following year, citing irreconcilable differences, per US Weekly. Six years after his divorce from Perry, Brand married Laura Gallacher in 2017. The couple was introduced by her sister, Kirsty, who is a star at Sky Sports. The comedian had previously told Daily Mail that Laura, who was 19 when they met, loves him for who he truly is rather than his fame. However, their relationship faced challenges, particularly from Laura's father, golf legend Bernard Gallacher, who disapproved of the significant age difference between them. A family friend revealed that Bernard even urged Laura to end the relationship due to his concerns. They eventually reconnected in 2015, four years after Brand's divorce, and immediately moved in together. Since their wedding in 2017, Brand and Gallacher have welcomed three children. Will Russell Brand be declared innocent or guilty at the end of his trial?
Chicago Tribune
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Laura Washington: Waving the flag could turn the tables on Donald Trump and the GOP
Waving the flag is as American as apple pie. For years, Republicans have painted Democrats as far-left extremists and America haters, to disastrous effect. It's time to turn the tables. Flag-shagging, as it's known in the United Kingdom, is the 'uncouth vernacular for overt displays of patriotism,' according to a recent essay in The Economist. Last year, it helped the British Labour Party regain a majority in Parliament. President Donald Trump's caterwauling about the Democrats' hatred of the military and the nation is epic. He has called Democrats 'treasonous' and 'un-American.' Trump's rants have no basis in fact, but if you bellow loud enough and often enough, it sinks in. 'They certainly didn't seem to love our country very much. It's very sad,' Trump said. Such accusations are echoed up and down the ranks of the Republican leadership, running wild and freely. At a campaign rally in his Ohio hometown, then-Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance attacked prospective Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris by questioning her patriotism. When Harris gives a speech, Vance claimed, 'she talks about the history of this country not with appreciation but with condemnation.' He piled on: 'Not everything's perfect. It's never going to be. But you, if you want to lead this country, you should feel grateful for it. You should feel a sense of gratitude. And I never hear that gratitude come through when I listen to Kamala Harris.' It was an echo of attacks leveled at former first lady Michelle Obama during her husband's 2008 presidential campaign. The Republicans are particularly good at this trope. Back in 2020, a first-term congressman from Texas targeted U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw criticized Duckworth for suggesting that the issue of removal of statues and monuments of controversial Founding Fathers should be debated. Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL, said Duckworth was supporting the 'destruction of America.' 'I think a general message that the left stands for the destruction of America and the right doesn't probably works pretty well with veterans, even liberal ones, because even liberal veterans probably don't agree with that, unless you're Tammy Duckworth,' he declared. Duckworth is a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel. She lost her legs serving in combat in the Iraq War. Democrats have work to do. According to a 2024 Gallup poll, 41% of adults said they were 'extremely proud' to be American, and another 26% said they were 'very proud.' Over the years, patriotic pride among Republicans 'has consistently outpaced that of Democrats,' according to Gallup. In 2024, 59% of Republicans, 34% of Democrats and 36% of independents said they were 'extremely proud' to be American. Flag-shagging, by wrapping yourself snugly in the American flag, is what the Democrats should do. There is no downside. They need to stop being the party that stands up for the protester who burns our flag. Let the U.S. Supreme Court deal with the free speech issues. Flag burning cannot be the Democrats' epithet. They don't have to support massive military budgets, but they should staunchly support our troops and veterans. Democrats might consider the example of Rahm Emanuel, the prominent Democrat, former U.S. ambassador to Japan and former Chicago mayor. He is back in town and on a political redemption tour. This month, Emanuel held an event to showcase a program he is spearheading to support Chicago Public Schools students who are enrolled in ROTC. He announced that he and his wife, Amy Rule, are establishing an ROTC scholarship and naming it after Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who was the first woman to serve as chief of naval operations and the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, until she was inexplicably fired by the Trump administration. Twelve graduates of the CPS Junior ROTC received a scholarship check from Emanuel to fund $10,000 a year toward their college education. Franchetti appeared with Emanuel to congratulate the students. I'm no Rahm fan, but that's savvy politics. Last August, the politicians were falling all over themselves with patriotism at the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Their floor speeches were laced with odes to America. 'USA' signs flooded the zone at Chicago's United Center. In return, the Democrats enjoyed a post-convention bump in the polls. Their flag-shagging had Trump on the run. Since then, not so much. The Democrats must overcome their natural inclination to duck. Erring on the side of patriotism is not a political sin. It's a virtue. It's sort of like being in favor of motherhood. Who's against that? Railing against the oligarchy will get the Democrats only so far. Instead, go full tilt into waving the flag.
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Angela Rayner urged to keep her compensation promise to Nuked Blood veterans
A video has emerged of Angela Rayner calling for immediate compensation for nuclear veterans, while campaigners now say the Labour government is "dangerously close" to betraying them Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has been urged to keep a promise made to survivors of Britain's nuclear weapons tests, after a video emerged of her demanding compensation for them. More than 100,000 people have already viewed a clip of Ms Rayner addressing a conference of the forgotten Cold War heroes in 2022, while Labour was in Opposition. She told them: "Myself and my Labour colleagues are calling on the Secretary of State for Defence to.... liaise with the Treasury to set up an appropriate financial compensation programme for veterans and their descendants, as America, France, China, Russia, Fiji and the Isle of Man have done." She was joined by then-Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey, who told the same event: "The UK remains the only nuclear test country in which there is no scheme at all for compensation and recognition, and that's why on behalf of the British Labour Party I've said to your veterans, your campaign is our campaign. "It's why British Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has met with veterans and their families, the first-ever party leader in Britain to do so. We are totally together on the campaign for justice, for compensation." It follows a video uncovered last week and since seen by almost 400,000 people, in which Mr Healey told a party event that the government's decision to withhold recognition and compensation "shames us as a country". Yet since taking power, Labour has made no moves to set up compensation schemes, despite facing a £5bn damages a bill and a criminal complaint. The videos were discovered and posted online by political influencer Peter Stefanovic, CEO of the Campaign for Social Justice. He included footage from Plymouth MP Luke Pollard, who is now Armed Forces Minister, recorded in 2022 when he was shadowing the role and discussing a medal for the nuclear veterans. Mr Pollard said: "The UK, unlike many of our allies, has never compensated or recognised the sacrifice of those veterans... their significant exposure to radiation has also led to consequences for close family members and their children. "So that's why it seems really dumb the UK government has been denying, not only a medal to those veterans for their exceptional service 70 years ago, but compensation, and Labour has been campaigning on this for quite some time." * You can support the veterans' fight for the truth HERE Alan Owen of campaign group LABRATS said: "Veterans and families took the shadow ministers at their word. After decades of successive governments letting them down, we hoped a change of government would bring a change of tone. Instead it is starting to look dangerously like we have been betrayed again. "We would ask the Deputy Prime Minister, Defence Secretary and Armed Forces Minister - who have all met and offered support to victims of Britain's nuclear weapons programme - to remember their promises, and help us to avoid costly and lengthy legal action by sitting down to discuss a special tribunal to finally uncover the truth and repay the nation's debt to these men." It comes a week after veterans reported the Ministry of Defence to police over allegations of a criminal cover-up of a widepsread blood test programme which monitored the troops' health while they were living amid the fallout. The results are frequently missing from their medical records, with hundreds of records locked on a top secret database on the grounds of national security. Despite ministers' previous support for veterans and an admission that the monitoring "may have been" conducted without medical supervision, the veterans' claims have been dismissed as "unsubstantiated". A review of the records announced last year has been given no budget and no deadline for reporting its findings. Ms Rayner has been directly approached by veterans for a meeting, but referred them instead to their local MP. Mr Stefanovic said: "The more you learn about the Nuked Blood Scandal, the more shocking it becomes. This is no way for the government to treat national heroes. This country owes them and their families owe a huge debt of honour and gratitude, but instead successive governments have stonewalled them and subjected to decades of maltreatment and injustice. Now in power, the Labour government must honour the commitment it made to these men in opposition." Social justice campaigner Mr Stefanovic called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to take charge of the issue, and to hold the meeting requested by veterans. He said: "I'm asking you now Prime Minister, will you honour the commitment your party made to these national heroes in Opposition? Will you sit down with these brave men and their families? Will you listen to what they have to say and will you work with them and campaigners to ensure they and their families, who have sacrificed and suffered so much for this country, finally get the justice we all know they deserve?" A spokesman for the MoD said: "We recognise the huge contribution that nuclear test veterans have made to national security. Since entering government, ministers have commissioned officials to look again at unresolved questions regarding medical records as a priority, and this is now underway. This work will be comprehensive, and it will enable us to better understand what information the department holds in relation to the medical testing of service personnel who took part in the UK nuclear weapons tests."
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Russell Brand Granted Bail in UK Rape Hearing
Comedian, actor and accused rapist Russell Brand was granted bail Friday at a court hearing in London where he faces charges of rape and sexual assault. Brand, now 49, was formally charged April 4 with two counts of sexual assault, one count each of rape, oral rape and indecent assault stemming from alleged encounters with four women between 1999 and 2005. Standing before Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring for just 14 minutes on Friday, Brand confirmed his name, birth date and address and then listened to the charges against him. At the end of the hearing, Judge Goldspring granted Brand bail on the condition that he keep the court informed of where he is staying at all times, regardless of whether it is in the U.K. or the United States. Brand left the hearing and rode away in a black Mercedes-Benz without speaking to reporters. Judge Goldspring has recommended Brand's case to a higher U.K. court of justice. His first hearing is scheduled for May 30. At Friday's hearing, lead prosecutor Suki Dhadda said that Brand raped one of his four accusers in a hotel room at a 1999 British Labour Party conference. Another woman has accused Brand of orally raping her in a bathroom stall during a 2004 party, while a third woman says Brand attempted to drag her by her arm into a men's bathroom at a London television station in 2001. His fourth accuser in this case claims that Brand grabbed her by the face, pushed her against a wall and forcibly kissed her while grabbing her breasts and buttocks. Brand's accusers remain unnamed, as British law grants victims of alleged sexual violence lifetime media anonymity. It is likely that any trial surrounding the charges against Brand will not be held until a year from now. As is customary in the U.K. court system, no official pleas have been entered yet. Brand has, however, denied all allegations against him. The actor and comedian, who was once married to pop star Katy Perry and is best known in the U.S. for his roles in films 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' and 'Get Him to the Greek,' posted a video on social media shortly after the charges against him were announced in early April. 'I've always told you guys that when I was young and single before I had my wife and family — who are just out of shot over there, my beautiful children — I was a fool, man. I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord,' Brand said in the video. '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.' The charges against Brand have come nearly two years after Britain's Channel 4 and The Sunday Times published a joint investigation in September 2023 detailing serious instances of alleged sexual assault committed by him against four different women between 2006 and 2013. Brand responded to that investigation by categorically denying its claims, much like how he has handled his current assault and rape charges. In recent years, Brand has shifted from starring in Hollywood films and British TV shows to running a YouTube channel, in which he discusses contemporary politics, wellness and conspiracy theories. He is also the host of several podcasts. The post Russell Brand Granted Bail in UK Rape Hearing appeared first on TheWrap.
Middle East Eye
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Turkey's opposition threatens to block UK Labour return to Socialist International
Turkish opposition leader Ozgur Ozel has threatened to block the UK Labour Party's application for readmission to the Socialist International, a global alliance of centre-left parties, due to its silence over the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu last week. In televised remarks on Monday, Ozel criticised British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour Party for remaining largely silent about Imamoglu's detention on corruption charges, which Turkey's opposition describes as baseless and politically motivated. Imamoglu is widely viewed as the leading challenger to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the 2028 presidential election. The Republican People's Party (CHP), chaired by Ozel, officially named Imamoglu as its presidential candidate earlier this month, shortly after his arrest. Ozel noted that the British Labour Party only issued a statement about the situation after waiting a full week, and that this statement simply declared support for democracy in Turkey. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'Well, wake up and smell the coffee,' Ozel said. 'The British Labour Party wants to be readmitted as a member of an international organisation where I serve as vice president - the Socialist International. They will face the consequences from me.' The Labour Party had not responded to Middle East Eye's request for comment by time of publication. 'We support democracy' The Labour Party currently holds observer status at the Socialist International. Full membership or expulsion requires a two-thirds majority vote of the organisation's Congress. A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office told AFP on Thursday that Britain urges the Turkish government to uphold the rule of law amid ongoing mass protests. However, British authorities have not released a formal, high-level statement on the matter. 'Get In': The plot involving a pro-Israel Irishman that helped Keir Starmer to power Read More » The UK and Turkey maintain close economic and defence ties, and London is currently negotiating a major sale of Eurofighter jets to Ankara, reportedly worth nearly $10bn. 'Because we share a strong and important relationship with Turkey, and as with all our allies, we expect the upholding of shared international commitments and the rule of law - including timely and transparent judicial processes,' the UK Foreign Office spokesperson said. 'Around the world, we support democracy and the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and media freedom.' The UK has also updated its travel advisory for Turkey, urging British nationals to avoid crowds and demonstrations following protests that began on 19 March. Last week, Turkey deported BBC journalist Mark Lowen, who had been covering the demonstrations. According to the BBC, Turkish authorities claimed he posed 'a threat to public order'. Both the UK Labour Party and Turkey's CHP are members of the Party of European Socialists and the Progressive Alliance.
