Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges as he appears at Southwark Crown Court

The 49-year-old appeared in court on Friday, May 30 to enter his plea after being charged last month with one count of rape, indecent assault, oral rape, and two other counts of sexual assault. Brand did not speak to reporters as he entered the building.

The alleged incidents involve four different women, and are said to have taken place between 1999 and 2005. Brand, who was charged following an police probe prompted by a Channel 4 Dispatches and Sunday Times investigation in 2023, is accused of raping one woman in a hotel room while she attended a Labour Party conference.

He is also accused of grabbing a TV crew member’s breasts and orally raping her after dragging her into a men’s toilet. Brand is accused of grabbing another woman by her face and pushing her up against a wall before forcibly kissing her and grabbing her breasts and buttocks.

The final alleged incident saw the TV and film star accused of indecently assaulting another woman before grabbing her and trying to drag her into the toilet.

Brand has denied all claims and maintained his innocence. The star, who has since moved to the US, told his 11.2 million X (formerly Twitter) followers: “I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes. I want to thank all of you for your continuing support... and of course, I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”

Brand is due to stand trial on June 3, 2026.