British comedian and actor Russell Brand pleaded not guilty on Friday, May 30, to five charges of s3xual offences, including r@pe and s3xual assault, at Southwark Crown Court in London.
The 49-year-old media personality is facing one count of r@pe, one of oral r@pe, two counts of s3xual assault, and one of indecent assault. The alleged offences involve four women and are said to have occurred between 1999 and 2005.
Brand arrived at the courthouse wearing an open-buttoned shirt and dark blazer, drawing a crowd of onlookers. He was previously granted conditional bail and showed no visible emotion during the plea hearing, standing flanked by two officers in the dock as he entered his pleas.
The trial is scheduled to begin on June 3, 2026.
The charges followed a police investigation launched after a 2023 Channel 4 documentary aired allegations against him. One of the alleged offences includes a r@pe in a hotel room in Bournemouth in 1999, while another charge involves oral r@pe and s3xual assault in central London in 2004. The complainants include a TV worker and a radio station employee who encountered Brand during the height of his early media career.
Earlier this month, at Westminster Magistrates Court, prosecutors formally presented the charges while Brand remained stoic throughout the hearing. Following the charges in April, Brand posted a video on social media platform X, denying the allegations.
“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a s3x addict and an imbecile, but what I never was was a r@pist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity,” he said.
Born in Essex in 1975, Brand rose to fame through provocative stand-up comedy and as a presenter on MTV and other television programs. He later hosted a BBC Radio 2 show from 2006 to 2008, before resigning after a scandal involving a prank call to actor Andrew Sachs.
Once known for his left-leaning activism and high-profile marriage to pop star Katy Perry, Brand has in recent years rebranded himself as a conservative influencer. He now commands a substantial online following, often sharing anti-establishment views, conspiracy theories, and wellness content. In 2023, he announced his conversion to Christianity, having been baptised in the River Thames.
