Russell Brand testifies, denies rape charges while admitting misuse of fame

Russell Brand appeared in the witness box at Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday to give evidence in a trial covering alleged sexual offences between 1999 and 2009. Over more than four hours, the comedian denied three charges of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one allegation of attempted indecent assault involving six women.

Brand told jurors that his public profile had grown to "staggering fame" by the time he married Katy Perry, and that he had previously misused that fame to obtain sex. He said, "I was in a position of fame, a successful person who was admired and I misused the commodity very selfishly," and added that he now regarded that behaviour as wrong.

When questioned by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC, Brand acknowledged a long-standing obsession with sex in his younger years but denied setting a goal to sleep with a specific number of women. He emphasized that consent was more important than the act itself and maintained that the encounters were consensual.

The defense lawyer, Ian Winter KC, repeatedly asked Brand to confirm each allegation, to which Brand responded "no". Brand also said he would comply with any police request for information.

The trial featured testimony from six accusers who described alleged incidents in a hotel room, a bar toilet, a recording studio, a radio station corridor and his home. Brand denied the specific allegations, including claims that he forced a woman onto a bed, grabbed a woman's breasts, or engaged in non-consensual oral activity.

During cross-examination, Brand was confronted with excerpts from his 2007 autobiography, My Booky Wook, and a 2023 Dispatches documentary that had previously reported on alleged misconduct. He said the documentary’s coverage had made it difficult to secure witnesses.

The proceedings are ongoing.