A woman who alleges she was raped by Russell Brand transformed from a “bright, bubbly and confident girl” into someone battling alcoholism and mental health difficulties, a court has heard.
Brand, 51, is accused of raping the woman after meeting her at one of his Hammersmith Apollo gigs in 2009. She has told Southwark Crown Court she willingly took part in a threesome with Brand backstage, then went to his Hampstead townhouse for sex a few days later. However, she claims that during the second encounter he turned a consensual sexual encounter into rape by forcing her into anal sex and ignoring her pleas to stop.
Friends describe the alleged victim's decline
One of the woman's friends said she was a “bright, bubbly and confident girl” but added: “This experience definitely changed her.” The friend told jurors: “It's like she lost respect for herself after that day, she blames herself for what happened.”
The friend also said she accompanied the alleged victim to a meeting with a Sunday Times journalist when she was considering speaking out about Brand, but noted the woman was trying to go sober and was battling mental health difficulties at the time. “She is a vulnerable person,” the friend said. “Her mental health was not great, she was in early recovery.”
Work colleagues give evidence
A work colleague from recent years fought back tears as she told the court she had been informed of the “traumatic” attack. “She is someone that has experienced great trauma, the subject matter is not pleasant, so her demeanour was reflective of that,” she said. The colleague said she understood Brand had treated the woman “quite harshly”, adding: “He left her to clean up. I think she was crying at that point.”
Another woman who had worked with the complainant said she was told Brand said “I will be gentle”, but then proceeded to have anal sex with the young woman without her consent.
AA sponsor and family evidence
The alleged victim's AA sponsor gave evidence that Brand had been “business-like”, “very straight to the point and not romantic”. When she was considering speaking to a Sunday Times journalist, the alleged victim wrote in a Facebook Messenger exchange: “I'm not sure my story has much in it”, adding “I feel I was an idiot. I was young and stupid”, and that she was “probably as much to blame”.
Friends and family earlier testified that she did not go to police at the time because she “didn't think she would be believed”. Her mother recalled hearing her daughter describe “screaming out in pain” while telling Brand to stop, and her father told her: “That is rape”. A friend told the jury: “She didn't think she would be believed, and she didn't think it would be worth it to go. She kind of put it behind her.”
Trial continues
Brand denies three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault, after being accused by six different women. Jurors heard he picked out the alleged rape victim in the foyer after the Apollo show, so she and another woman could have a threesome with him backstage. In the second encounter, she claims Brand forced her to shower and brush her teeth before sex, and forced her into anal sex despite her making it clear she did not want it.
Brand denies all charges and says all sexual encounters were consensual but have since been “reimagined” by his accusers. Mr Justice Bennathan sent jurors away until Monday, when the prosecution is expected to close its case. Brand's defence case is due to start on Tuesday morning.
