Actor and podcast host Russell Brand appeared in court in London on Friday, May 2, in his first court appearance to face the sexual assault charges against him.
Brand, who has recently undergone a conversation to Christianity, was charged on April 4 with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. Brand has denied the charges.
Editor’s note: This article contains descriptions of rape and sexual assault that some might find disturbing and potentially triggering.
“I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single, before I had my wife and family…my beautiful children, I was a fool, man,” said Brand in a post to his social media the day he was charged. “I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was, was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
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Russell Brand is a stand-up comedian, actor and former radio host who now hosts several podcasts. He is a wellness influencer, is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, and has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories.
In September 2023, The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches revealed the results of a joint investigation in which five women came forward with allegations against Brand that included sexual assault and rape, as well as “physical and emotional abuse, sexual harassment and bullying.” These incidents allegedly took place between 2006 and 2013.
In the BBC’s documentary, “Russell Brand: In Plain Sight,” one woman identified as “Nadia” describes Brand raping her in 2012. Another woman, identified as “Alice,” said she began a relationship with Brand when she was 16 and he was 30. Alice claims Brand groomed her and said that he sexually assaulted her near the end of their relationship.
Footage of Brand’s stand-up shows that the comedian joked about behavior, such as spitting during sexual acts, that the women described in their assault allegations.
Helen Berger, who worked with Brand from 2006 to 2007 as his production assistant, said that he was always in his tighty whities around her. While she observed that Brand was extremely promiscuous and exhibited other troubling behavior like showing his friends naked photos that women sent him, Berger said she never suspected Brand of forcing women into non-consensual sexual acts.
