British comedian and actor Russell Brand denied rape and sexual assault allegations on Friday after being charged with five offenses by London's Metropolitan Police.
Brand, 49, who became known internationally as the husband of pop star Katy Perry after forging a career in Britain with risque comedy routines, was charged with one count of rape, indecent assault and oral rape and two counts of sexual assault, police said.
The charges relate to offenses alleged to have taken place between 1999 and 2005 involving four women.
In a video response on X, Brand denied the charges.
"I 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 non consensual activity," he said in the video.
Jaswant Narwal, of Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, said prosecutors had "authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Russell Brand with a number of sexual offenses".
"We carefully reviewed the evidence after a police investigation into allegations made following the broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary in September 2023," she said. "We have concluded that Russell Brand should be charged with offenses including rape, sexual assault and indecent assault."
Brand, who was married to Perry for 14 months between 2010 and 2012, said he was now "grateful" for the "opportunity" to defend himself against the charges.
He is due to appear in the Westminster Magistrate's Court on May 2.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy from the Metropolitan Police said the investigation remained open.
He urged "anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police".
Brand is charged with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area on England's south coast, and the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in the Westminster area of London.
He has also been charged with indecently assaulting a woman in 2001 and sexually assaulting another woman between 2004 and 2005 -- both alleged to have taken place in Westminster.
The Press Association news agency said Brand, who is thought to be living in the United States, was charged by post.
Born in 1975 to working-class parents in Essex, east of London, Brand began his stand-up career as a teenager.
He burst onto the scene as a provocative, often lewd comedian before transforming into a Hollywood star, then an anti-establishment guru and conspiracy theorist who has millions of fans online.
He has almost seven million subscribers on YouTube, 11.3 million on X and 4.8 million on Instagram.
He presented a show on the BBC's Radio 2 station between 2006 and 2008 but left after an on-air prank when he left a sexually explicit voicemail for "Fawlty Towers" actor Andrew Sachs about his granddaughter.
He also presented a "Big Brother" spin-off show for several years, and wrote columns for the left-wing Guardian newspaper and penned two autobiographies.
He is now married to the author and illustrator Laura Gallacher, with whom they have three children.
© 2025 AFP
17 Comments
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David Brent
About time this utter cretin gets his comeuppance.
I'veSeenFootage
None of those people were charged with rape.
Fighto!
Brand is Puff Daddy, Jeffrey Epstein, Gary Glitter, and Jimmy Savile all rolled into one vile individual. Sleazy, slimy - and I am not shocked whatsoever he is now being charged with rape.
wallace
Russell Brand repented and became a Christian but it won't help him in the criminal courts.
Some dude
Innocent until proven guilty, but I bet he did it.
u_s__reamer
Russell Brand is just the tip of the iceberg among the rich, powerful, famous and celebrated. Most of them get away with their sexual aggression. Trump, "the Indicted One", no innocent himself, has joked about how men and women have behaved with each other for the last million years and reminding us with his infamous attention-grabbing tape of the murky role played by the female in sexual relations. Brand may be one of the few who won't get away with his past behavior as a young, hormone-driven man.
Jimizo
Not a cretin. He appeals to cretins.
I read one interesting phenomenon that the cretin demographic has a lot of failed and wannabe entertainers competing for their open-mouthed attention. Brand is better than that. It’s interesting but not really surprising.
Anyway, innocent until proven guilty but he has already acknowledged some seriously messed up behaviour regarding women.
kohakuebisu
Its been pretty obvious what he was like for a long time. There are many stories of him harassing female staff and costars when he worked for UK channels, who ignored the accusations and protected him not his victims.
I didn't see the turn to right wing Christian fundamentalism coming, which seems like a massive grift from him.
TokyoLiving
Not a surprise..
Never a surprise..
Ego Sum Lux Mundi
If he has truly repented of his sins then that is marvellous. Regardless, the secular authorities will have their way with him.
starpunk
If he truly did, then he would've confessed to it all and let the law do what it will. If he were truly sorry and had 'seen the light' he would've truly admitted to it all.
But his behavior and attitudes do not and have not shown it.
I have always found his 'humor' to be repulsive and juvenile. You know, trumpish.
7th grade maturity, at best.
Just wait. If he goes to prison, he'll 'kick the booze habit', 'find Jesus' (fershure!) and then after his release become a 'motivational speaker' giving lectures in auditoriums + churches about 'empowerment' and all that new age crap. Oh yeah, buy his books and CD-ROMs and DVDs on the way out the door.
wallace
starpunk
yes to everything. I have never watched him once.
starpunk
Remember that geeky kid in your middle school and/or HS who always threw wads and shot rubber bands at other students, and read little white porn books and/or comics during lunch hour, study hall or recess? The one who picked his nose and/or popped his zits in front of everybody and 'wiped it' on his clothes? The one who always made churlish uncouth disgusting 'jokes' about spit, snot, abusing animals, destroying toys, X-rated stuff, etc.? Blurting out obscene singsongs with the grossest latrine lyrical content? Making stupid noises in class for no apparent reason?
We all know such brats. Every school and class has at least one.
That's what this 'comedian' does, and somehow he 'made it'. You haven't missed anything.
Jay
Isn’t it interesting how these anonymous "Jane Does" suddenly came forward the moment Russell Brand gained real traction as an anti-establishment voice?
Twenty-six years... why now?
The timing raises serious questions - why NOW, and why not during the height of his fame when he was actively celebrated by the very institutions now rushing to condemn him?
Japantime
He grew up watching Benny Hill, and like a lot people I have met from England they like to act the same and grope women like Benny Hill did.
Simon Foston
JapantimeToday 01:18 pm JST
You actually witnessed this happening? Did you do or say anything about it?
wallace
Japantime
In my 45 years of living in the UK I never saw anything like that.