Russell Brand faces seven rape and sexual‑assault charges in London trial

Russell Brand, 51, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court facing seven rape and sexual‑assault charges linked to six women spanning 1999‑2009.

What Happened

The youngest complainant, then in her early 20s, said she met Brand after a February 2009 gig at the Hammersmith Apollo and was taken to his Hampstead townhouse a few days later, where she alleges he anally raped her despite her expectation of vaginal sex. Police interviews from 2025 reveal she later bumped into Brand, received a text from him saying, "Because you're dirty, and I wanna push you further," and replied that he had treated her like an animal. Earlier statements note she begged him to stop and feared HIV infection. Additional testimony includes a Choice FM employee who said Brand leapt on her, kissed and groped her at the station, and a Channel 4 employee who said he placed his face near her groin during a recording. A separate allegation describes Brand grabbing a woman's breasts, pulling her into a lavatory and orally raping her. An interview from 1999 recounts a woman who felt safe inviting him to a hotel after a fringe show, later describing his body as "snake‑like and disgusting" after an alleged rape following a Labour Party conference event.

Reactions

Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, questioned the youngest complainant’s fan status and suggested she was impressionable, which she rejected, saying the line made her feel blamed. The woman’s driver silently escorted her to a Tube station after the alleged attack, handing her tissues without comment. Brand appeared in court with his wife, Laura Gallacher, and has pleaded not guilty.

Context

The case adds to a wave of high‑profile sexual‑assault trials in the UK, where public figures are being held accountable under the criminal justice system. Victims’ detailed testimonies and recorded police interviews are central to how such cases are presented to juries.