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Comedian Russell Brand denies rape and sex assault charges in UK court
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 30, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Global Banking & Finance Review®
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on May 30, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges in a UK court, with a trial set for June 2026. He denies all allegations.
LONDON (Reuters) -British actor and comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty in a London court on Friday to charges of rape and sexual assault relating to four women more than two decades ago.
Brand, once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and former husband of U.S. pop singer Katy Perry, appeared at Southwark Crown Court and denied all five criminal charges.
The 49-year-old has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations were first aired two years ago.
British prosecutors announced in April that Brand had been charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault against four women between 1999 and 2005.
Brand, who previously gave his address as being in England but also lives in the U.S., is due to stand trial in June 2026.
He spoke only to confirm his name and enter his five not guilty pleas, before leaving the court with his lawyer and some companions.
PREVIOUS DENIAL
After the charges were first announced, Brand said in a video posted on social media that in his younger days, before getting married and having children, he had been a fool and a sex addict but "what I never was, was a rapist".
In the 2000s, Brand was a regular on British screens, known for his flamboyant style and appearance.
He worked for the BBC and starred in a number of films including "Get Him to the Greek" before marrying Perry in 2010. They divorced 14 months later.
By the early 2020s, he had faded from mainstream culture, appearing primarily on his internet channel where he airs his views on U.S. politics and free speech.
In September 2023, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 TV's "Dispatches" show reported allegations of sex offences against him. Police began investigating some weeks later.
Brand, who said last year he had become a Christian, rejected those accusations.
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by William James and Mark Heinrich)
Russell Brand pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault relating to four women, including two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault.
Russell Brand's trial is scheduled to take place in June 2026.
Russell Brand has consistently denied having non-consensual sex and stated that he had been a fool and a sex addict in his younger days, but rejected the accusations made against him.
Russell Brand appeared at Southwark Crown Court in London to enter his not guilty pleas.
By the early 2020s, Russell Brand had faded from mainstream culture and primarily appeared on his internet channel, discussing topics like U.S. politics and free speech.
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