Russell Brand's former personal assistant has told Southwark Crown Court she witnessed the comedian treating women poorly and resigned because she was "sick of him" and burned out. Helen Berger worked closely with Brand from June 2006 to February 2007, during his rise as a star of MTV, Channel 4 and the BBC, while he was also writing a book and performing stand-up to sell-out crowds.
In a statement read to the court on Monday, Ms Berger said she saw Brand "treat women poorly" and accused those around him of "normalising bad behaviour". She said: "Though I've worked with a lot of celebrities before and seen a lot of people normalising bad behaviour, this was on another level." She added that "normalising and dismissing Russell's behaviour made me think, 'this is just the way it is here'."
Sexual appetite and behaviour in the workplace
Ms Berger described Brand as having "an insane sexual appetite and was sleeping with people day and night", and recalled him "getting antsy" when they were on deadlines, joking: "May I go and have sex now?" She told the court that part of her job involved reviewing Brand's press coverage, including interviews in which he spoke openly about his sexual encounters and desires, and observed that "he never seemed happy after sex, more so depressed".
She said Brand used MySpace to find women for sex, and that "at his house, women often came over and it was clear they were there for sex". Ms Berger recalled once finding a female celebrity asleep in Brand's bed while he wandered around the house half-dressed, and described him as "like a peacock, women would always approach him". She also told the court that Brand conducted an interview with actress Sadie Frost while dressed only in his pants and an open robe, saying: "He did the whole interview in his underwear, no shirt, and an open robe."
Pressures of the role and departure
Ms Berger, who worked for Brand through his agent John Noel, said she was often called to the comedian's 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." She recounted that Brand was "very open about what his needs were" and that there was no specific conversation about it.
She said she was initially instructed to get phone numbers for Brand from female fans, but felt uncomfortable and, after seeking advice, told him she would no longer do that. Ms Berger also described seeing Brand dismiss a woman he was chatting to at a party as soon as he realised she was in a relationship, saying: "He turned in a way that really startled me. He literally switched off his charm and moved on to the next woman." She ended her statement by saying she quit after nine months because she was "sick of him and feeling burned out".
Trial continues
Brand is accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one charge of indecent assault. He denies all the charges. Mr Justice Bennathan told jurors on Monday morning that the prosecution case has nearly finished, and they will begin hearing the defence case on Tuesday lunchtime. The trial continues.
