Russell Brand arrives at Southwark Crown Court for rape trial

The comedian and actor Russell Brand arrived at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday for the start of his trial, BBC News and Variety reported. The 51-year-old media personality faces multiple sexual offence charges relating to allegations made by six women, according to BBC News and thejournal.ie. [1][2][6]

According to thejournal.ie and Variety, Mr Brand has been charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault. The allegations span a ten-year period between 1999 and 2009, thejournal.ie and BBC News reported. Mr Brand pleaded not guilty to all charges during pre-trial hearings, BBC News and The New York Times reported. [1][2][4][6]

BBC News reported that Mr Brand arrived at the court wearing a navy suit and sunglasses alongside his wife Laura. Jury selection is expected to begin on Monday morning, with the trial projected to last up to 10 weeks, according to BBC News. [1]

Mr Brand is an English comedian, actor, podcaster, and television presenter who originally gained public attention as host of Big Brother's Big Mouth, a television spin-off show. He was born in Essex, England, in 1975. [11][12]