Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand pleaded not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges in court on Friday.

The 49-year-old formally denied the five charges for the first time at Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday morning.

In April, the comedian and actor was charged with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault.

According to BBC News, Brand only spoke to confirm his name and reply "not guilty" to each of the counts during his time in the dock.

The Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor will remain on conditional bail until the trial, which has been set for 3 June 2026.

Brand, wearing an unbuttoned shirt and a dark suit, did not speak to reporters outside the courthouse.

The charges relate to allegations by four separate women about incidents that allegedly took place between 1999 and 2005.

It is alleged that the rape took place in the Bournemouth area in 1999, while another woman was allegedly indecently assaulted in the Westminster area of London in 2001.

Brand is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2004, and sexually assaulting another woman in the same area of London between 2004 and 2005.

The Get Him to the Greek actor previously denied the allegations in a video statement after being charged in April.

He said, "I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an imbecile, but what I never was, was a rapist. I've never engaged in non-consensual activity, I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes. I want to thank all of you for your continuing support."

Detectives began investigating Brand in September 2023 after receiving a series of allegations in the wake of an expose by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4's Dispatches.