Russell Brand Enters Southwark Crown Court as Trial on Sexual Assault and Rape Charges Begins

LONDON — Comedian Russell Brand arrived at a London court on Monday for the opening of his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault.

Brand was escorted by security guards and accompanied by his wife, Laura Gallacher, as he arrived at Southwark Crown Court for the first day of a trial expected to last between 10 and 12 weeks.

Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The offenses involve six women and are alleged to have occurred between 1999 and 2009.

He remains free on bail pending the trial.

Prosecutors have said in prior hearings that Brand is accused of raping a woman in a hotel room at a Labour Party conference, grabbing a TV worker’s breasts and forcing her into a sexual act in a restroom, and kissing and groping a radio station employee.

Known for his provocative stand‑up comedy and past struggles with drugs and alcohol, Brand was a prominent early‑2000s celebrity, hosting television shows, presenting his own BBC radio programme and starring in films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.”

In recent years he has withdrawn from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and cultivated a sizable online following through videos that blend wellness topics, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious beliefs.

The Associated Press doesn’t name victims of alleged sexual violence, and British law protects their identities from the media for life.

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