Russell Brand Pleads Not Guilty to Rape and Sexual Assault Charges

Actor and comedian Russell Brand appeared in a London court on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and sexual assault involving four women dating back more than 25 years. The 50-year-old denied two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault at Southwark Crown Court.

His trial is set to begin on June 3, 2026, and is expected to last four to five weeks. Prosecutors allege that the offences took place between 1999 and 2005, with one incident occurring in Bournemouth and the other three in London.

Brand, who did not speak to reporters as he arrived at court, is accused of raping a woman in a hotel room in Bournemouth during a 1999 Labour Party conference. The woman claims that Brand stripped in front of her, pushed her onto the bed, removed her underwear, and raped her.

Another woman alleged that Brand tried to drag her into a men’s toilet at a television station in London in 2001. The third accuser, a television employee, stated that Brand groped her breasts and forced her to perform oral sex at a birthday party in 2004.

The final accuser, who worked at a radio station, said Brand kissed her, groped her breasts and buttocks, and pushed her against a wall during their encounter between 2004 and 2005. The identities of the victims are protected by British law and will not be disclosed by the media.