Russell Brand stayed silent as he arrived at court on Tuesday for a hearing ahead of his rape and sexual assault trial. The comedian, actor and podcaster, 51, has been accused by six women of sexual abuse allegations spanning 10 years from 1999 to 2009.
He denies all the charges: three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault.
Arrival at Southwark Crown Court
On Tuesday, Brand arrived at Southwark Crown Court in a black Mercedes for the first of two days of pre-trial hearings. Wearing a grey suit jacket and sunglasses, Brand was flanked by a security guard and accompanied by a woman as he walked slowly past waiting news photographers.
He stayed silent on his entry to court, for the start of two days of legal argument scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Trial details and allegations
His trial begins on Monday, October 12, with the case expected to last up to 10 weeks.
Previous hearings have heard Brand, who denies all the allegations of non-consensual sexual activity, is accused of raping a woman in a hotel room at the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, grabbing a TV worker’s breasts and forcing her into a sex act in a toilet and kissing and groping a radio station worker.
Background and current status
Brand became one of Britain’s best-known stand-up comedians in the 2000s, presented spin-off shows for TV’s Big Brother and starred in a series of Hollywood films. In recent years, he has pivoted to podcasting and online influencing, and now lives in the United States.
Brand is on bail during criminal proceedings.
