Russell Brand begins giving evidence in London sexual assault trial

The entertainer Russell Brand has begun giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court in London as his defence case gets under way, BBC News and The Guardian reported. The 51 year old comedian has pleaded not guilty to seven sexual offence charges involving six female complainants, according to the New York Times and thejournal.ie. The BBC News reported that Brand entered the witness box on Wednesday morning after the prosecution closed its case. [1][2][4][6]

Brand faces three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of attempted indecent assault, according to BBC News and The Guardian. Variety reported that Mr Justice Bennathan had previously dismissed an indecent assault charge mid trial and replaced it with the count of attempted indecent assault due to insufficient evidence. The alleged offences span a 10 year period between 1999 and 2009, BBC News said. [1][2][7]

Taking the stand, Brand stated that a documentary making allegations about his behaviour had a devastating effect on him and caused colleagues and friends to turn against him, BBC News reported. Defence barrister Ian Winter began questioning Brand about the first complainant, who alleged Brand raped her after they met on the fringes of the Labour party conference in Bournemouth, according to The Guardian. [1][2]

The court previously heard that Brand was interviewed by police four times between November 2023 and July 2025, thejournal.ie reported. The Guardian and thejournal.ie both reported that Brand told officers he had led a very promiscuous life, but that consensual sexual encounters were unfavourably reframed decades later. He maintained to police that he had never engaged in non consensual sexual activity, according to thejournal.ie and The Telegraph. [3][4][5]

Brand rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a stand up comedian and television presenter, hosting Big Brother's Big Mouth on E4. As FTMQ News reported earlier, multiple women have detailed allegations in court regarding forced sexual encounters in London, all of which Brand denies. [10][12]