Brand gives evidence at Southwark Crown Court
Russell Brand has told jurors that he did not commit any of the alleged sexual offences for which he is standing trial, as prosecutors challenged the account he gave from the witness box. The comedian and actor, aged 51, is answering allegations relating to six women over a period from 1999 to 2009.
Brand denies three allegations of rape, three of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. The case is being heard at Southwark Crown Court in London and is now in its third week. Giving evidence on Wednesday, he responded firmly when his barrister, Ian Winter, asked whether he had carried out any of the offences alleged against him.
“No.”
The defendant also told the court that consent was central to his understanding of sexual relationships. Prosecutors, however, alleged that his testimony had been shaped to accommodate evidence already presented during the trial. The jury will be required to assess the competing accounts and reach verdicts based on the evidence admitted in court.
Allegations cover a decade
The prosecution case includes allegations said to have taken place in a variety of settings. One woman is alleged to have been raped after meeting Brand at an event connected with the Labour Party conference in 1999. Another woman alleges that he compelled her to perform a sexual act in toilets at a London bar in 2004.
A further allegation concerns an incident at a radio station in either 2004 or 2005. Brand is also accused of attempting to draw a woman into the men's toilets at MTV Europe in London in 2001, where she was working. In another allegation, prosecutors say he raped a woman at his home in 2009 after she had agreed to consensual sex. The source account provided for this report does not include the complete description of the remaining allegation.
| Proceedings | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Southwark Crown Court, London |
| Defendant | Russell Brand, 51 |
| Period covered | 1999–2009 |
| Charges denied | Three rape charges, three sexual assault charges and one attempted indecent assault charge |
Impact described as “devastating”
Brand told jurors that the allegations had caused what he described as a “devastating” effect on his life. He said no friends had agreed to provide evidence in his support. In response to a question about whether people close to him would associate with him, he answered that they would not.
He also described the consequences for his family life. Brand said he had been prevented by a hospital from remaining with his son after the child underwent open-heart surgery. He referred to his 14-month marriage to US singer Katy Perry and said it had brought him “staggering fame”.
Allegations followed 2023 reports
The jury has previously been told that the complainants contacted detectives after a documentary was broadcast in 2023. Newspaper reports published around the same time carried anonymous allegations from other women who are not complainants in the current trial. Those reports and the documentary form part of the background to the police investigation, but the verdicts in this case must be based on the evidence relating to the charges before the court.
- Brand denies every allegation being tried.
- The prosecution disputes the reliability and presentation of his evidence.
- No finding of guilt has been made, and the jury has yet to reach its verdicts.
Brand was previously a regular presence on British television and appeared in several Hollywood films. His public profile has meant that the proceedings have attracted considerable attention, but the allegations remain matters for the jury to determine. The trial is continuing at Southwark Crown Court.
