- London’s Metropolitan Police charged British actor Russell Brand with five counts of rape and sexual assault Friday, April 4. The charges stemmed from incidents reported by four women from 1999 to 2005.
- Authorities launched an investigation in September 2023 following British media reports of sexual and emotional abuse allegations against Brand.
- Brand denied all allegations, asserting that his relationships were consensual, while police continue their investigation and urge any potential victims to come forward.
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British comedian and actor Russell Brand faces five counts of rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police announced Friday. The charges consist of one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault.
The alleged offenses, reported by four women, occurred between 1999 and 2005.
Brand denied the allegations, stating that all of his relationships have been consensual. In a 2023 video response, he described the accusations as “very serious.”
Investigation launched in 2023 following sexual assault allegations
In 2023, British media outlets, including The Sunday Times and Channel 4, published reports alleging that Brand had sexually and emotionally abused four women.
“One woman alleges that Brand raped her against a wall in his Los Angeles home. She was treated at a rape crisis center on the same day, according to medical records. A second woman alleges that Brand assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still at school. A third woman claims that he sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about her allegation. The fourth described being sexually assaulted by Brand and him being physically and emotionally abusive toward her.”
The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches Investigation
Following the reports, police launched an investigation that led to the formal charges.
Brand denies allegations
Brand, known for roles in films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” repeatedly denied the accusations.
When the allegations first surfaced in 2023, he posted a video on social media calling the allegations “very serious” and insisting that all encounters were consensual.
“I was very very promiscuous,” Brand said. “Now during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual.”
“What I seriously refute is are these very, very serious criminal allegations,” Brand continued.
Court appearance scheduled
Brand is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 2 in connection with the charges.
