Russell Brand is set to appear in court on Monday for the start of his trial over charges of rape and sexual assault against six women. The 51-year-old, who denies all charges, is accused of groping women and forcing them into sexual acts in allegations spanning 10 years from 1999 to 2009.
Brand, a comedian and actor turned podcaster, is due to appear in the dock at Southwark Crown Court this morning for the start of his trial. The process of jury selection will begin today, and his trial could last up to ten weeks. Brand has been charged with three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault.
Pre-trial hearing and allegations
He was supported by his wife Laura Gallacher when he appeared at the central London courthouse on Tuesday last week for a pre-trial hearing. Previous hearings have heard that Brand 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.
Essex-born Brand started out as a stand-up comedian and his showbiz career took off when he was picked to front Big Brother spin-off shows by Channel 4. He became one of Britain’s best-known comedians in the 2000s and won presenting roles including the 2007 Brit Awards, Comic Relief and the MTV Music Video Awards, and hosted his own show on BBC Radio 2.
Career and current status
He made the move into Hollywood films with roles including an Arthur remake, comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the 2012 musical comedy Rock of Ages. In recent years, he has pivoted to podcasting and online Christian influencing, and now lives in Florida in the United States.
Brand, who pleaded not guilty to the charges during pre-trial hearings, is on bail. His case is being overseen by High Court judge Mr Justice Bennathan, with today’s hearing set to start at 9.30am.
