LONDON — The Russell Brand trial began Wednesday with prosecutors portraying the actor and comedian as a ruthless sexual predator while outlining allegations from six women spanning a decade. Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault linked to incidents between 1999 and 2009.
According to the prosecution at Southwark Crown Court, the women, who do not know each other, allege they were assaulted in a hotel room, at workplaces, in a bar restroom and at Brand’s home. Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told jurors that at the time Brand had an indiscriminate appetite for sex and that women were treated as a means to an end. She said Brand could be charming and funny, but described him as manipulative and calculating.
Key allegations in the Russell Brand trial
Jurors heard details of several incidents. The earliest allegedly occurred in 1999 during the Labour Party’s annual conference in Bournemouth, where Brand was performing at a fringe event. Another woman alleges that in 2001 he tried to pull her into a men’s bathroom at her office building. A third woman says he forced oral sex on her in 2004 in a London bar restroom after she asked him to stop.
Other complainants include a woman who says Brand kissed and groped her at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005, and a 21-year-old fan who alleges he anally raped her at his home in 2009 after they met at one of his shows. The prosecution said that in text messages the following year, she told Brand he had treated her like an animal and he replied, “I’m sorry.” Another woman alleges that during the recording of an advertisement in 2009, Brand demanded a massage and pushed his face into her groin.
Prosecutors said none of the alleged victims reported the incidents at the time, citing guilt, shame and fear of being blamed. They individually came forward after a 2023 television program aired anonymous claims about Brand, according to the court.
The first witness, Mark Pinheiro, a former friend who traveled with Brand to Bournemouth in 1999, testified that the day after the alleged hotel incident Brand abruptly left town and appeared fearful, ducking down in a car when police sirens passed. Brand’s attorney, Ian Winter, challenged Pinheiro’s memory of events from more than 25 years ago.
Brand denies all the charges and told police he never engaged in nonconsensual sex. The trial is expected to run up to 10 weeks. He arrived at court to a crush of media, saying he felt blessed and that he was concerned but hopeful the process would lead to good outcomes for everyone involved.
Brand gained fame in the early 2000s through television and a BBC radio show, then moved into films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.” He was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry. In recent years he has left mainstream media, moved to Florida and built a large online following with videos on wellness, conspiracy theories and religion.
The Associated Press does not identify people who report sexual violence, and U.K. law protects their identities for life. Similar privacy concerns and questions around legal exposure have surfaced in other high-profile cases, including federal court losses involving public figures.
Information about jury service and court procedures in England and Wales is available through the official U.K. government courts and tribunals website.
