Updated 4 min 15 sec ago
October 15, 2026 07:17
LONDON: A prosecutor told jurors at Southwark Crown Court that Russell Brand acted as a “ruthless” sexual predator when he assaulted six women over a decade, opening the rape and sexual assault case against the actor‑comedian.
Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges involve six women and alleged offences between 1999 and 2009.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy‑Jones described the six complainants—who do not know each other—as victims of assaults in a hotel room, workplaces, a toilet cubicle in a bar and at Brand’s home address. She said Brand, at the time, displayed an “indiscriminate and voracious” desire for sexual contact and treated women as “simply a means to an end.”
Karmy‑Jones portrayed Brand as charming and flirtatious with “a huge sexual appetite,” but also “ruthless, calculating, manipulative… a sexual predator.” She said his behaviour was “childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met.”
The earliest incident, according to the prosecution, occurred in 1999 during the Labour Party’s annual conference in Bournemouth, when Brand—then a rising stand‑up comedian—allegedly raped a woman in a hotel room after performing at a fringe cabaret show. In 2001 another woman alleges Brand tried to drag her into a men’s bathroom at an office building where she worked.
A third complainant alleges that Brand raped her in 2004 in a London bar’s restroom, telling her “Don’t be a spoilsport” when she asked him to stop. A fourth woman says Brand kissed and groped her at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005, leaving her feeling “dirty and disgusting.”
A 21‑year‑old fan alleges Brand raped her at his home after she met him at one of his shows in 2009. The same year, another complainant says Brand demanded a massage and pressed his face into her groin during the filming of an advertisement.
The prosecutor noted that none of the women reported the alleged assaults at the time, citing guilt, shame and fear of being blamed. They each came forward after a 2023 television programme broadcast anonymous accusations against Brand.
Karmy‑Jones told jurors that the women would give evidence later in the trial and said, “I have no doubt you will find their evidence compelling.”
The first witness was Mark Pinheiro, a former friend who accompanied Brand on the 1999 Bournemouth trip. Pinheiro said that the day after the alleged rape, Brand left town abruptly and appeared “incredibly alert and incredibly afraid,” crouching behind a window when police sirens passed.
Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter, challenged the reliability of Pinheiro’s recollection of events from more than a quarter‑century earlier.
Brand denies all charges. In police interviews he asserted he never engaged in non‑consensual sexual activity. The trial is expected to last up to ten weeks.
Brand arrived at court on Wednesday under bail, telling reporters he felt “blessed” and expressing hope that the process would lead to “good outcomes for everybody involved.” He added, “That’s my prayer.”
Known for provocative stand‑up comedy and past battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a TV host and BBC radio presenter. He appeared in Hollywood films such as *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* and *Get Him to the Greek* and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry. In recent years he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and cultivated a large online following with content blending wellness, conspiracy theories and religious commentary.
