5.06.2025

"Russell Brand Pleads Not Guilty to Assault Charges"

LONDON (AP) — Actor and comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty in a London court Friday to rape and sexual assault charges involving four women dating back more than 25 years

LONDON (AP) - Actor and comedian Russell Brand appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, where he pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault involving four women. The allegations date back over 25 years, specifically from 1999 to 2005, with incidents reported in Bournemouth and London.

Brand, who is approaching his 50th birthday, faces six charges in total: two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault. As the charges were read to him, he consistently responded with a "not guilty" plea. His trial is set to begin on June 3, 2026, and is anticipated to last four to five weeks.

The prosecution outlines that the alleged offenses occurred across several incidents. One accusation involves Brand allegedly raping a woman in a hotel room in Bournemouth, where she was attending a Labour Party conference in 1999. According to the woman, she encountered Brand at an event where he was performing, and later, upon returning to her hotel room from the bathroom, she claims he pushed her onto the bed and raped her after stripping down.

Another woman, who alleges an incident from 2001, claims that Brand grabbed her forearm in an attempt to drag her into a men's restroom at a television station in London. Furthermore, a third accuser, a television employee, recounts an event from 2004 where Brand allegedly groped her breasts and forced her to perform oral sex in a restroom after meeting her at a bar during a birthday party.

The fourth accuser worked at a radio station and met Brand while he was involved in a spin-off of a "Big Brother" reality television program between 2004 and 2005. She alleges that Brand forced her against a wall, kissed her, and groped her breasts and buttocks after grabbing her face.

Under British law, the identities of victims in such cases are protected from media exposure, safeguarding their anonymity throughout their lives. As the legal proceedings continue to unfold, Brand’s public image faces significant challenges amid these serious allegations.

Brand, notably dressed in dark glasses, a suit jacket, a black collared shirt, and jeans during his court appearance, did not engage with reporters outside the courthouse. The gravity of the charges and the responses from the legal system reflect the broader societal discourse surrounding accountability and justice in cases of sexual violence.