Russell Brand rape trial begins in UK as prosecutors open case
Fox News correspondent Stephanie Bennett reports as Russell Brand faces trial in London over allegations of rape and sexual assault on ‘America Reports.’
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Russell Brand has been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault in the U.K. He denied the charges and was acquitted of two additional rape charges and attempted indecent assault.
He has been taken into custody and is due to be sentenced Monday, according toBBC.
Brand, 51, was accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault involving six women between 1999 and 2009.
RUSSELL BRAND ACCUSED OF RAPE, SEXUAL ABUSE OF 4 WOMEN; COMEDIAN DENIES ‘SERIOUS <a href="https://comicvibe.com/watch-charlie-hunnam-emilia-clarke-bring-criminal-comic-to-life/” title=”Watch: Charlie Hunnam, Emilia Clarke bring 'Criminal' comic to life”>CRIMINAL ALLEGATIONS’
Russell Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
According to Sky News, Brand acknowledged that he had been “reckless” and used his fame to pursue sexual relationships, but insisted that the encounters were consensual. He also told the jury that consent was “fundamental, essential and necessary.”
Brand has denied forcing any of the women to engage in sexual activity against their will.
Last week, Brand’s wife, Laura Brand, took the stand as a defense witness, one day after the comedian and actor testified.
During Laura’s testimony, the mom of three — who first met her husband when she was 19, and he was 31 — opened up about the start of their relationship.
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Russell Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London on Oct. 29, 2026, ahead of his trial on rape and sexual assault charges. He has denied all charges
The pair began dating in 2006, but split the following year due to Brand’s difficulty with monogamy and her “inexperience.”
“When I met him, I was aware that he liked women, and I was aware toward the latter half of that year that he was engaging with other women,” Laura told the court, per Sky News. “I was not interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people. I was invested; we both had told each other we loved each other, but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous.”
The couple rekindled their relationship in 2015 and married in 2017. They share three children.
Brand has denied all allegations
Laura described Brand as “caring and kind, a wonderful father to our children, and an amazing, attentive husband,” adding that he has an “eye for detail I have never known before.”
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“I feel very seen by him,” she said. “We have a very honest, frank and clear relationship and marriage.… Our relationship has always been [about] honesty. I love him very much.”
Prosecutors alleged that Brand committed the offenses against six women over a 10-year period. The women have testified in court about alleged encounters at a hotel, a bar, a radio station, a workplace and Brand’s home.
As police explained in a press release, detectives began investigating Brand after allegations were made public by U.K. media outlets Channel 4 and The Sunday Times in September 2023.
Russell Brand’s wife, Laura Brand, took the stand in the actor’s rape and sexual assault trial
The outlets launched a joint investigation into the allegations, resulting in a lengthy article on the Times’ website, as well as an episode of Channel 4’s documentary series, “Dispatches,” called “Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.” Both contained a number of anonymous complaints, with women accusing Brand of physical and emotional abuse and bullying, as well as some instances of sexual assault.
According to Brand, the encounters occurred during a “time of promiscuity” but were “always consensual.” He also noted that he “was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well.”
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In a video posted to X last year, Brand thanked his fans for messages of support, then criticized the British government and legal system before addressing the charges directly.
He explained that he “was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
Brand added, “Of course, I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
He wrapped up his video by assuring his followers that he’d continue to address the allegations against him.
Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash and Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this post.
