Actor and comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty Friday to five counts of rape and sexual assault during a pre-trial hearing at Southwark Crown Court, formally denying allegations from four women who accuse him of separate attacks spanning from 1999 to 2005.
Brand, 49, entered the courtroom dressed in a black blazer over a pinstriped shirt unbuttoned to his chest, wearing multiple crucifixes and dark sunglasses. He did not respond to reporters' questions and left the courthouse in a black Mercedes after the 10-minute session. His trial is scheduled to begin on June 3, 2026.
Brand faces one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. The charges were filed following an investigation by Channel 4 and The Sunday Times. Brand has been released on conditional bail and is required to notify the court of any changes to his Florida address.
The allegations stem from incidents early in Brand's career, when he was working as a comedian, MTV anchor, radio host, and TV presenter. One woman claims Brand raped her in a hotel room after meeting him at a 1999 Labour Party conference. Another alleges he attempted to drag her into a men's bathroom at a London TV studio in 2001. A third accuser says he forced her to perform oral sex in a London bar in 2004, while a fourth claims he groped and kissed her against her will between 2004 and 2005 during his time on Big Brother's Big Mouth.
In an April 4 video posted to social media, Brand denied all allegations and stated: "But what I never was, was a rapist. I've never engaged in nonconsensual activity." The video was released the same day formal charges were announced. Brand described himself as a "sex addict" and "imbecile" before converting to Christianity. "I was a fool before I lived in the light of the lord," he said.
Brand's legal representation includes Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky, who previously defended actor Kevin Spacey in his 2023 sexual assault case. Brand's father was present in court on Friday, sitting directly behind him.
Once a mainstay in British media through the 2000s with stints on BBC Radio 2 and Big Brother spinoffs, Brand later gained international recognition through roles in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. In recent years, he has built a large online following with videos on YouTube and Rumble, often critical of mainstream media, global institutions, and COVID-19 policies.
