The trial of Russell Brand at Southwark Crown Court has heard detailed evidence from the first of four women whose allegations form the basis of the criminal case against the comedian and actor.
Brand, 51, denies all seven charges he faces: three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The allegations relate to separate incidents said to have taken place between 1999 and 2005.
Prosecution case and allegations
Prosecutors allege Brand was a "sexual predator" who used his fame and charisma to target women. The defence has indicated that Brand will argue any sexual activity was consensual and that his accusers have effectively "reimagined" encounters with him years later.
One woman alleges she was raped by Brand at a hotel during the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999. A second woman claims she was raped at Brand's Hampstead home in 2009. A third alleges she was sexually assaulted after being made to give the comedian a massage during work linked to a Channel 4 project. A fourth complainant alleges she was sexually assaulted in a separate incident.
Opening the prosecution case earlier this week, prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC described Brand as "ruthless, calculated and manipulative" towards women. The court has also heard evidence from a former flatmate who claimed the comedian boasted about his sexual exploits and had once spoken of wanting to sleep with 5,000 women.
Labour conference allegation
On Thursday, jurors watched a recorded police interview with the woman who alleges she was raped by Brand after meeting him at the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999. She told police she had attended a fringe cabaret show in which Brand was performing.
The woman recalled using a telephone booth when "somebody started pulling my hair". "Basically it was Russell Brand, he was doing it while I was on the phone," she said. She described him as "very childish" and "very playful", adding that she did not feel threatened by him at the time.
The woman told police she believed Brand was gay and therefore did not see him as a potential sexual threat. After spending hours talking about theatre and creative projects, she said she invited him back to her hotel room to continue their conversation.
The court heard she was shocked when Brand emerged from the bathroom without his top on and began behaving erratically in the room. In her police interview, she described him as wearing only very short briefs and "prancing around", sitting on the bed and performing exaggerated movements. "He was like an ostrich," she said. "I remember him being like a bird because he was very leggy."
She said Brand started "goose stepping" around the room like television character Basil Fawlty. The woman recalled asking why he had taken off his clothes. "He was like, 'it's OK, it's just how I am, don't worry. I'm mostly naked at home'." She said she froze and remembered thinking: "What on earth have I got into?"
Alleged attack and aftermath
The complainant told police that Brand then became increasingly physical. Describing the alleged rape, she said he pushed her on to the bed, removed her trousers and lay on top of her. She told police she felt unable to escape the situation. "I couldn't get out of the situation. Do I shout? Do I scream?"
The woman said she shut down mentally during the alleged attack. "I drifted out of my head." She described Brand as feeling "heavy" and said she remembered his "lizard-like" tongue. The court heard that during the alleged incident, Brand attempted to reassure her and repeatedly suggested what was happening was normal. "He was just saying, 'We're having fun, it's fine, it's all good... Don't worry about it, it's just fun, it's normal."
The woman, who had previously experienced abuse, told police those comments stayed with her for years. "It was almost like trying to convince me it's all OK. I'd have to learn to enjoy it." She said she believed Brand referred to her past experiences and sought to distinguish himself from previous abusers. "I remember him mentioning my own experiences, to almost be like ... I'm not like that, I'm not like those men. Convincing me and using that."
She added: "I'm sure he mentioned that not every man is like the men I've met in the past... He knew exactly what he was doing."
The woman became emotional during parts of the police interview played to jurors. She said she had never previously seen a naked man and found the encounter deeply upsetting. She alleged the attack lasted only a short time. "It didn't take long, I just know it was quick."
Afterwards, she said Brand behaved as though nothing unusual had happened. The court heard he got dressed, wrote down his email address and suggested that his mother might like to meet her. She also recalled him reassuring her about sexually transmitted diseases by saying: "I go to the clinic a lot, I don't have any diseases."
The woman told police: "He knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to have sex that night and I was there." She broke down as she described the aftermath, saying: "It made me feel so dirty and I thought it was my fault. But in those days it was your fault, it was always your fault."
The complainant said she worried constantly about becoming pregnant and even contemplated self-harm. "I actually cursed myself. I just felt, 'what have you done, you're stupid, a stupid person'."
She told police she chose to suppress what had happened and remained silent for years while watching Brand's profile grow. The woman said a 2023 Channel 4 Dispatches documentary containing allegations against the comedian ultimately prompted her to contact police.
The court has previously heard that he is expected to argue any sexual activity was consensual and that the women have later reassessed or "reimagined" their experiences after seeing media coverage concerning allegations about him.
The comedian has attended court throughout the opening stages of the trial. On Thursday he listened from the dock as jurors watched the complainant's police interview. The trial before Mr Justice Bennathan continues. Brand denies all allegations.
