Russell Brand has arrived at Southwark Crown Court to give evidence for the first time in his defence, as his trial on rape and sexual assault charges continues. The former comedian, 51, is accused of three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault, and denies all the charges.
Former assistant describes working with Brand
Helen Berger, Brand's former personal assistant, told the court she saw him mistreating women and eventually left his employment because she became sick of him. She worked closely with Brand from June 2006 to February 2007, when he was a star of MTV, Channel 4 and the BBC, as well as performing stand-up comedy to sell-out crowds.
Ms Berger said Brand would find random women online to satisfy what she called his "insane sexual appetite", but that sex often left him depressed. She told the court: "Though I've worked with a lot of celebrities and seen a lot of people normalising bad behaviour, this was on another level."
She added: "Normalising and dismissing Russell's behaviour made me think: 'This is just the way it is here'." She recalled the comedian "getting antsy" when they were on deadlines, joking: "May I go and have sex now?"
Court hears of behaviour and working conditions
Ms Berger said Brand once conducted an interview with an actress while barely dressed. She said: "He did the whole interview in his underwear, no shirt, and an open robe." She also recalled: "When I went to Russell's flat, he was always in his underwear. He loved walking around in his underwear with no shirt on."
The court heard Ms Berger worked for Brand through his agent, John Noel, and would often be called on to go to his flat in Camden, North London. She said: "I worked a lot and was exhausted, emotional, and it was a lot to deal with. I always had to manage my emotions around him. He had an insane sexual appetite and was sleeping with people day and night. He was very open about what his needs were, we didn't have a specific conversation about it."
Details of interactions with women
Ms Berger said part of her job was to review Brand's press coverage, including interviews in which he had spoken openly to journalists about his sexual encounters and desires. But she said: "He never seemed happy after sex, more so depressed."
Ms Berger told the court Brand used social media website MySpace to find sexual partners, and said: "Women often came over, and it was clear they were there for sex." She said she was instructed to get phone numbers for Brand from female fans when she first started working with him, but later felt uncomfortable about this and, after seeking advice, told Brand she would not perform the service any more.
Ms Berger also recalled seeing Brand dismiss a woman he was chatting to at a party as soon as he realised she was in a relationship. She said: "He turned in a way that really startled me. He literally switched off his charm and moved on to the next woman." Ending her statement, Ms Berger said she quit the job after nine months when she was sick of Brand.
Trial continues
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan told jurors yesterday that the prosecution case had nearly finished, and that the defence will begin when the trial continues at Southwark Crown Court today.
