Russell Brand Denies Seven Charges at Trial

Russell Brand testified for the defense at Southwark Crown Court, denying seven charges of rape, sexual assault and attempted indecent assault involving six women between 1999 and 2009. He said he had never forced himself on anyone and described consent as essential, while acknowledging that he was highly promiscuous when younger, used his fame to gain sexual access, and had inconsistencies between his recollections and earlier accounts. A judge had directed jurors to find him not guilty of an indecent-assault charge over an allegation that he tried to pull a woman into a bathroom at MTV in 2001, ruling there was insufficient evidence; the allegation was reduced to attempted indecent assault, which he denies. Brand said the allegations had devastated his life and relationships and that friends and former colleagues would not testify for him. Prosecutors challenged his account of being abandoned, citing his large online following and a well-attended performance after the allegations emerged, and questioned him about the complainants’ allegations and his changing recollections. The trial is continuing, and Brand denies the charges.