NEED TO KNOW
- Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault taking place between 1999 and 2009 by six women
- On Thursday, October 15, the first alleged victim took the stand in trial against Brand, detailing how he allegedly raped her in a hotel room
- The actor, who is now married with three kids, has pleaded not guilty to all charges
Content Warning: This story contains references to and descriptions of domestic violence and assault
This is a developing story and was last updated Friday, October 16 at 3pm AEDT.
The trial for Russell Brand began on Monday, October 12, at London’s Southwark Crown Court. The 51-year-old comedian and actor is facing three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault, which are alleged to have taken place between 1999 and 2009 in London and Bournemouth.
Brand, who denies the charges, arrived at court on Monday accompanied by his wife Laura, reports the BBC. The judge told potential jurors the trial is expected to take about six weeks, but that they would need to be available until December 11.
The first of six women alleging rape, sexual assault and indecent assault against Russell Brand gave a harrowing account of her experience in court on Thursday, October 15. The woman, now in her 50s, was 28 at the time of the alleged rape. She told the court: “He changed from this person who is camp and effeminate and friendly to monster-like”, according to the Daily Mail.
In Thursday’s testimony, the first complainant alleges she met Brand, then 24, at a fringe theatrical performance in which he starred in 1999, before inviting him to her hotel room for a cup of tea, mistakenly thinking he was “gay”.
“He was half naked,” the Daily Mail reports she said in a 2023 video interview with police, played to the court. “While I was naïve, I did not think his intentions were good. He was dark and arrogant and performing. He was scary and demanding. He was the centre of the show. It was like he was back on stage. He was 100 per cent not the person I was chatting to.”
“He raped me. I said, ‘No, I don’t want this’. I know the words he used back at me. He said, ‘Let yourself into it. Let yourself enjoy it. Do not worry about shame and reputation’. I did not want sex with him. I could not fight back. I moved my head away when he stuck his fingers in my mouth. He was a big heavy weight on me. I did not have the physical strength to push him off.”
Timeline of Events:
Jump To…
Mid-2000s: Russell Brand Rises To Fame
Russell Brand was a stand-up comedian and radio and TV presenter in the UK before getting his big break in 2004 as the host of Big Brother’s Big Mouth, a spin-off of Big Brother. He then went on to star in Hollywood hit films Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010) and Rock of Ages (2012).
He started dating Katy Perry in September 2009 and married her in October 2010. They separated in 2011 and divorced in 2012. He married Laura Gallacher (now Brand) in August 2017. The pair have three kids: Mabel (born in 2016), Peggy (born 2018) and a third child (born 2023).
September 2023: First Allegations Against Brand Come Out
In 2023, The Times of London, The Sunday Times and Britain’s Channel 4 jointly reported on allegations that Brand had sexually assaulted several women between 2006 and 2013, during the height of his career. In a YouTube video posted on his channel, Brand denied the allegations. “The relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual,” he said.
April 2025: Brand Is Officially Charged With Allegations From Four Women
In April 2025, the UK Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) officially charged Brand with five criminal offences brought by four women following a police investigation.
December 2025: Two New Women Come Forward With Allegations
In December 2025, Brand was hit with additional criminal charges by the London Metropolitan Police and the CPS. The charges came from accusations brought forward by two new women who allege incidents from 2009.
October 2026: Brand’s Trial Begins In Court
On Monday, October 12, the trial began with jury selection followed by the prosecution outlining its case against Brand. The case is expected to last six weeks.
On October 15, the court heard from the first alleged victim who had invited him back to her hotel room, mistakenly thinking he was “gay”. When she questioned why he removed his clothes, she alleges he said: “It’s OK, it’s just how I am. Don’t worry. I’m mostly naked at home.”
“I was terrified,” the Daily Mail reports she told jurors. “I did what I thought I had to do in that moment. I had nowhere to run. He is a big guy. Should I have fought him off? He is prancing around with his stupid budgie smugglers on. You sudden realise, ‘What have I got myself into?’. I froze.”
The court was shown photos of a shirtless Brand blowing her a kiss that she alleges he made her take. She added that he was prancing around and being silly before he asked her to take photos of him.
Brand’s lawyer Ian Winter KC challenged her memory during his cross-examination. “You fell under his spell,” the ABC reports he said to her. “He’s a very attractive young man. He’s brilliant. He is very charismatic … you wanted to spend more time with him.”
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