CW: Sexual assault
Russell Brand has appeared in a London court for the start of his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault against six women.
The British actor and comedian has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault relating to alleged offences between 1999 and 2009.
During opening arguments, the prosecution described Brand as ruthless and calculating.
The trial is expected to last several weeks.
Here’s what you need to know.
Context
In 2023, the UK’s Sunday Times and Channel 4 jointly published reports alleging Brand had sexually assaulted and emotionally abused at least four women.
In April 2025, police charged Brand over allegations made by four other women, who came forward after the reports.
In a video statement posted to social media, Brand said the charges were a demonstration of the law being used as “a kind of weapon” against him.
Then, in December last year, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorised two further charges of rape and sexual assault against Brand relating to alleged offences against two additional women.
Brand denies three charges of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault, made by six women.
London’s Southwark Crown Court determined the additional charges (laid in December) should be brought into the existing case, with the trial getting underway this week.
Jury
Jury selection for the trial of Russell Brand began on Monday morning (UK time) – when Justice Joel Bennathan warned jurors to ignore past reporting about Brand and allegations of sexual misconduct.
Several possible jurors from an original pool of 50 were excused after telling the judge they had either seen the Channel 4 documentary or read articles concerning allegations about Brand.
A final 12 (eight men and four women) were sworn in for the trial on Tuesday.
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Trial
Arriving at court, 51-year-old Brand said, “Today I feel blessed. I feel of course concerned but hopeful that this process will lead to good outcomes for everybody involved.”
The prosecution, led by Riel Karmy-Jones KC, opened its case on Wednesday, alleging that Brand was a ruthless predator.
Karmy-Jones said, “His desire, his strong desire, for some form of sexual contact was indiscriminate and voracious.”
She described Brand as someone who could be funny and charming, yet “calculating” and “manipulative”.
The first complainant claimed Brand raped her in her hotel room after she saw him perform at a Labour Party conference event in 1999.
The woman told jurors she found him “frightening,” rejecting his lawyer’s suggestions that they had had consensual sex.
Brand’s co-performer and former friend Mark Pinheiro appeared as a witness, telling the court that a few months after the conference, Brand admitted he had met a woman and things “may have gone a bit too far”.
Pinheiro also said Brand bragged about a goal to have sex with 5,000 women in his lifetime.
Next steps
The women involved did not know each other and did not contact the police until after the Channel 4 doco and 2023 news reports, the prosecutor said.
Several witnesses are expected to be called over the coming weeks, as each of the remaining alleged victims takes the stand, before Brand’s legal team lays out its defence.
The trial continues, and is expected to last at least six weeks.
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Video: 1800RESPECT.org.au
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