Russell Brand is due to appear at Southwark Crown Court on Friday to enter pleas in a serious criminal case involving multiple charges of rape and sexual assault. The 49-year-old comedian-turned-activist faces allegations brought by four women, with accusations spanning from 1999 to 2005.
Brand is expected to stand before Judge Tony Baumgartner for the plea hearing, where he will be asked to respond to two counts of rape, two charges of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault.
Among the most serious allegations is an attack said to have taken place at the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999. It is claimed that Brand met a woman at a performance event, accompanied her to her hotel room, and raped her on the bed. Additional accusations include Brand forcibly grabbing a television worker by the forearm and attempting to drag her into a toilet in 2001.
Further allegations relate to his time as a presenter on the reality TV show Big Brother. Brand is accused of “sloppily” kissing a woman and groping her breasts. Another charge involves him allegedly orally raping a woman in the toilet of a Soho bar, after grabbing her breasts.
Brand, who now primarily lives in the United States but has provided a Henley-on-Thames address for court purposes, has consistently denied the claims. Through his online platforms, he has maintained his innocence, stating, “I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
Earlier this month, Brand made a brief appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court before Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring. At that time, the case was formally committed to the Crown Court, but Brand did not enter any pleas. Friday’s hearing will mark the first opportunity for him to respond to the charges, with a trial date expected to be set.
The initial hearing drew significant media attention, with Brand arriving amid a large group of photographers and journalists. Dressed in a half-unbuttoned black shirt, dark jeans, and gold-rimmed sunglasses, he refrained from answering shouted questions. A security detail and police officers formed a protective barrier around him to manage the crowd outside the central London courthouse.
The charges stem from an investigation launched by the Metropolitan Police in April 2024, following multiple allegations made against Brand. This probe was prompted by investigative journalism from The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches, which brought forward testimonies from several women.
Brand, once one of the UK’s most prominent entertainers, enjoyed a high-profile career in comedy, film, and television. His fame peaked in the mid-2000s, with notable roles in Hollywood films and as a regular presenter on Channel 4 and the BBC.
His career, however, was not without controversy. He left his BBC Radio 2 show in 2008 after the “Sachsgate” scandal, where he left a lewd voicemail about actor Andrew Sachs. He also hosted Big Brother spin-off shows including Big Brother’s Big Mouth and Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack.
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Brand’s personal life has also attracted significant public interest. He was married to American pop star Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012. He is currently married to Laura Gallacher, sister of TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher, and they have two children, Mabel and Peggy.
Ahead of his court hearings, Brand posted a video on YouTube addressing the allegations. He said: “If you were a member of the Labour Party, that’s the governing party in my country, the United Kingdom, you would want an inquiry into rape gangs so that you could be entirely exonerated. It’s the same with me. I want a trial because I know that I’m innocent. I know I’m a broken sinner and a wretched hopeless individual, but I know I’m innocent. So an examination — a thorough and intrepid examination — which establishes that innocence in the eyes of everybody, I welcome it. What a relief it will be.”
Brand is currently represented by Ian Winter KC in the ongoing criminal proceedings.
The upcoming plea hearing is expected to be a significant step in what is likely to be a high-profile trial, closely followed by the media and public alike.
