A verdict is expected shortly in the rape trial of comedian and TV star Russell Brand, with the jury due to return to Southwark Crown Court.
The 51-year-old has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault, relating to six women between 1999 and 2009.
Allegations and Trial Details
Brand is accused of attempting to indecently assault an MTV worker by pulling her into a toilet in 2001, forcing himself on another MTV worker in a Soho bar toilet during a party in 2004, kissing and groping a radio worker in a corridor in 2005, and raping a woman in a hotel room at the 1999 Labour Party conference.
His hearing at Southwark Crown Court began on October 12. Brand is on bail and now lives in the US. His wife Laura has attended the trial throughout and gave evidence in his defence.
Career Background
Brand rose to fame as the host of Big Brother's Big Mouth before starring in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Rock of Ages. He went on to host The Russell Brand Show on BBC radio and Radio X, along with his own podcasts.
The comedian, originally from Essex, crossed over to Hollywood in the late 2000s, landing a role as rock star Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008) and Get Him to the Greek (2010). He also starred in the Arthur remake and voiced characters in the Despicable Me franchise.
Charges Summary
Brand faces a total of seven charges: three allegations of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault. The allegations were made by six female complainants over a ten-year period between 1999 and 2009.
Brand later reinvented himself as an online political activist, initially championing left-wing, anti-capitalist activism and wealth inequality reform, highlighted in his 2014 book Revolution. He more recently shifted his online commentary toward right-leaning, anti-establishment and alternative narratives during the Covid-19 pandemic, building a large following on YouTube while sharing commentary on media censorship, wellness and his 2024 baptism as a Christian.
