Russell Brand is alleged to have stripped to the waist and performed comical walks "like Basil Fawlty" before raping a woman he met at the Labour Party conference, according to court proceedings.
Brand, 51, stands accused of being a "ruthless predator" who exploited women to fulfil his "enormous sexual appetite", and allegedly sexually assaulted and raped those who attempted to rebuff his advances. Prosecutors argue that Brand used humour and charisma in his quest to sleep with 5,000 women, and harboured a "child-like expectation that his every desire should be met".
Alleged hotel room attack
Southwark Crown Court was told that Brand is charged with raping a woman he met after she attended his cabaret performance on the outskirts of the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth. Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC informed jurors that the woman initially believed Brand was homosexual, and invited him back to her hotel room to continue their discussion.
She alleges that he emerged from the bathroom shirtless and "was prancing around the room, a bit like an ostrich, doing silly walks like Basil Fawlty". The prosecutor stated: "She was taken aback, she was shocked and she didn't really know what to do – and in her words she froze a bit. She asked him why he had taken his clothes off, and he said something along the lines of 'It's OK, it's just how I am, don't worry.... I'm mostly naked at home'."
The woman claimed that when they first met after the show, Brand was "polite, courteous and complimentary about her", describing him as having a "gentlemanly way". "She assumed he was gay, he gave no indication of being attracted to her," said Ms Karmy-Jones, who told the jury Brand would try to make women laugh and show interest in their causes in his pursuit of sex. "Above all, she was excited by the fact that she could have such an intelligent conversation with a man, a man who was displaying an interest in what she had to say."
Allegations of rape and sexual assault
Later in the hotel room, the woman claims she took photographs of a topless Brand at his request, before he "pushed her onto the bed". The court heard: "She remembers the weight of him on top of her, she couldn't move, and was finding it hard to breathe, but recalls trying not to let him kiss her, and saying 'no'." The prosecutor said the woman recalled Brand's tongue feeling "like a lizard" as he raped her. Afterwards, she says Brand "behaved as if nothing had happened" and suggested that his mother would like to meet her.
Brand's flatmate at the time, Mark Pinheiro, claims Brand was "desperate" to have sex as they headed to the Labour Party conference in 1999, jurors heard. "He found a victim, engaged with her, told her 'exactly what she needed to hear', and then manipulated the situation so as to have sex with her", said Ms Karmy-Jones. The court heard Mr Pinheiro claim Brand had called himself "a ladies' man" and an "expert pick-up artist" as they headed to the conference, and said he "wanted to bed 5,000 women in his lifetime".
The court was told Mr Pinheiro claims Brand returned to their flat following the alleged rape, instructing them to "pack up their stuff" as they "had to leave town immediately". Ms Karmy-Jones stated: "Once in the car, the defendant behaved oddly, shrinking down in the back seat to hide his head beneath the window. When pressed about where he had been the night before, and why they had to leave so abruptly, he said he had forgotten he had an audition."
Charges and background
Brand faces seven alleged offences – three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault. He denies all the charges. Prosecutors claim the comedian-turned-podcaster possessed an "indiscriminate and voracious" appetite for sex, exploiting his wit and charisma on women he encountered. He displayed behaviour that was "child-like in his expectation that his every desire should be met", stated Ms Karmy-Jones, who branded him a "ruthless, calculated, and manipulative" sexual predator.
A woman alleges he once attempted to force her into a toilet cubicle, the court was told. The prosecutor told the court she had praised his "I Am Spartacus" T-shirt before the alleged incident in 2001. Ms Karmy-Jones explained the women contacted police after witnessing media coverage about Brand. When questioned by officers, Brand provided prepared statements and maintained that all sexual encounters with women had been consensual.
The comedian, originally from Essex, was once a mainstay in the UK media, hosting shows on Channel 4 and leading his own programme on BBC Radio 2. He's presented the Brit Awards, Comic Relief and the MTV Music Video Awards, as well as landing lead roles in Hollywood blockbusters like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Rock Of Ages, and Arthur. Brand, who has transitioned into podcasting in recent years, now resides in Florida and was joined in court by his wife Laura Gallacher. The trial continues.
