Russell Brand Pleads Not Guilty To New Rape and Assault Charges
Brand denied two 2009 rape and sexual-assault charges announced Dec. 2025 that prosecutors say add to April 2025 charges alleging offences from 1999–2005, with a trial set for June.
Daily CallerRussel Brand Enters Plea In Rape Trial
ABC NewsRussell Brand pleads not guilty to new rape and sexual assault charges
CBS NewsRussell Brand, bible in hand, pleads not guilty to new rape and sexual assault charges
Breitbart NewsUK Comedian Russell Brand Pleads Not Guilty to New Rape, Assault Charges
Overview
Russell Brand pleaded not guilty on Feb. 24 at Southwark Crown Court to two new charges alleging rape and sexual assault in 2009.
The Crown Prosecution Service said the two new allegations involve two further women and are in addition to charges issued to Brand in April 2025 relating to alleged offences from 1999 to 2005.
Law enforcement officials began investigating Brand in September 2023 after multiple allegations were made, court papers and reports show.
Prosecutors say Brand faces sexual offence charges involving a total of six women and had earlier been charged with five offences: two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault.
A trial is scheduled for June and is expected to last four to five weeks.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame Brand as a controversial, marginal figure by emphasizing his eccentric courtroom appearance and past controversies, while foregrounding prosecution details. Editorial choices—loaded descriptors ("conservative guru", "battles with drugs and alcohol"), selective background (voicemail scandal) and vivid courtroom imagery—shape a narrative that highlights character and notoriety alongside legal facts.
FAQ
Russell Brand faces charges involving a total of six women across two separate sets of charges. The first set, issued in April 2025, involved four women with alleged offences from 1999–2005, including one count of rape, one count of oral rape, and one count of indecent assault[1]. The second set, issued in December 2025, involves two additional women with allegations of rape and sexual assault from 2009[1]. The investigation began in September 2023 following media reports by Channel 4's Dispatches and The Sunday Times[3].
Brand appeared in London's Southwark Crown Court on February 24, 2026, for a plea hearing on the new charges, where he pleaded not guilty[1]. Since rape is classified as an indictable-only offence in the UK, the case will be heard in Crown Court before a jury rather than magistrates[4]. A trial is scheduled for June 2026 and is expected to last four to five weeks[1]. In May 2025, Brand also pleaded not guilty to the initial five charges and will stand trial on those charges in June as well[1].
The investigation began in September 2023 after coordinated media investigations by Channel 4's Dispatches documentary titled "Russell Brand: In Plain Sight" and reports from The Sunday Times and The Times brought forward multiple allegations spanning from 1999 to 2013[3]. The Metropolitan Police launched their investigation immediately following these media reports and conducted multiple interviews with Brand in 2023 and 2024[3]. After an 18-month investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service authorized formal charges on April 4, 2025[3].
In the April 2025 charges, Brand was charged with one count of rape, one count of oral rape, and one count of indecent assault stemming from alleged incidents between 1999–2005[1]. In the December 2025 charges, he was charged with two additional counts: one count of rape and one count of sexual assault related to incidents in 2009, bringing the total charges involving six women[1]. The charges fall under both the Sexual Offences Act 1956 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003, depending on when the alleged offences occurred[4].
According to a statement from Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Tariq Farooqi, "The women who have made reports, including those connected to the two new charges, continue to receive support from specially trained officers."[1] Additionally, in high-profile cases like this, judges typically set strict directions relating to the reporting of allegations, particularly regarding the protection of complainants' identities[4]. Brand's legal team must prepare for trial while the court sets stage dates that establish a timetable for both the defence and prosecution to work towards[4].
