Comedian Russell Brand denies rape and sex assault charges in UK court

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)