Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape, sexual assault charges

Russell Brand is set to stand trial after the British comedian and actor pleaded not guilty to a series of sexual offences.

British comedian and actor Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty to five charges of sexual offences including rape and sexual assault.

The media personality turned anti-establishment influencer faces one count of rape, one of oral rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent assault between 1999 and 2005, involving four women.

Crowds were waiting as Brand, 49, arrived at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday in an open-buttoned shirt and dark blazer for the plea hearing, after being granted conditional bail at a previous hearing.

Russell Brand leaves following the court hearing at Southwark Crown Court. Picture: AFP

He gained international recognition as the husband of pop star Katy Perry, but is better known in the UK for his controversial comedy routines, as well as TV and radio appearances in the early 2000s.

Now living partly in the US, Brand appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court in central London earlier this month, where he showed no emotion as a prosecutor read out allegations against him.

On Friday, Brand appeared in the dock flanked by two officers, where he stood stock-still and looked straight ahead as he delivered his pleas.

He is now due to stand trial next year, on June 3, 2026.

Brand gained international recognition as the husband of pop star Katy Perry, but is better known in the UK for his controversial comedy routines, as well as TV and radio appearances in the early 2000s. Picture: AFP

Prosecutors charged Brand following a police probe into allegations aired in a 2003 Channel 4 documentary.

He is accused of raping one woman in a hotel room following an event in the southern Bournemouth area in 1999.

Another charge relates to the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in central London.

The accusations involve four women, including one who was a TV worker, and another who was a radio station worker at the time of the alleged assaults.

In a video response on X after he was charged in April, Brand said he was “grateful” for the “opportunity” to defend himself.

Originally published as Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape, sexual assault charges