Russell Brand Testifies He Was Obsessed With Sex but Denies Goal of Sleeping With 5,000 Women

Russell Brand testified at Southwark Crown Court that he was "obsessed" with sex in his youth but insisted he never forced himself on a woman, emphasizing that consent is "non-negotiable" and "more important than sex itself." The 51-year-old former comedian denied setting a goal to sleep with 5,000 women, a claim derived from a former friend’s account of a conversation during a car ride to the 1999 Labour Party conference.

When asked by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC if he had ever pursued such a target, Brand replied, "No, not a goal," and added that any remarks about it would have been "badinage" typical of his younger self. He also said a reference to a Woody Allen joke was "specifically like a riff" and not a serious statement.

Brand faced six accusers who allege sexual assaults ranging from 1999 to 2009, including rape in a hotel room, assaults in a bar, at a radio station and at Channel 4. He acknowledged keeping a fan’s contact details marked with the letter "T" for "tart" and asterisks to denote a memorable encounter, describing the label as his way of noting casual hookups.

The prosecutor highlighted excerpts from Brand’s autobiography that suggested he once pretended to be gay to attract women; Brand dismissed the suggestion as a joke. He also denied that he pretended to be gay to gain access to a woman he is accused of raping, stating, "No," and characterising the claim as a joke.

Brand denied all three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. The trial remains ongoing.