British comedian and actor Russell Brand appeared in a London court where he pleaded not guilty to rape and several counts of sexual assault.
Brand, 49, is headed for trial June 3, 2026, per NBC News.
According to court documents, Brand indecently assaulted a woman in 2001. He allegedly assaulted her by “grabbing her arm and dragging her towards a male toilet.”
In 2004, he allegedly sexually assaulted a woman by touching her breasts without her consent.
London police charged Brand on April 4 with rape, oral rape, indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault involving four separate women between 1999 and 2005.
Brand has denied any wrongdoing.
One woman said she was 16, which is the age of consent in the United Kingdom, and Brand was 30 when they began a relationship. This included abuse and sexual assault.
In response, Brand posted a video on X.
“I have never engaged in nonconsensual activity,” Brand said, adding, “I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Brand was married to pop singer Katy Perry. They divorced after 14 months. In 2017, he married Laura Gallacher. They have three children.
In September 2023, he posted another video on X.
“These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream … And as I’ve written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.”
“The relationships I had were very absolutely, always consensual,” he added.
