Russell Brand's lawyer has claimed a 2023 documentary "poisoned the well of justice" against the comedian.
During his closing statements at Southwark Crown Court in London, the actor's defence lawyer Ian Winter KC insisted the six complainants were not "random" and had been "thoroughly contaminated" by the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary into Brand's alleged sexual misconduct.
Winter argued that the documentary and reporting in The Times and The Sunday Times "poisoned the well of justice" by prompting the complainants to come forward.
"(It) caused people who had not previously considered for it to be appropriate to bring criminal allegations against him, to do so, and very many years after," he told the court, reports BBC News.
Brand, 51, faces three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of attempted indecent assault related to alleged incidents between 1999 and 2009. He has denied the allegations.
Elsewhere during his statements, Winter told the jury there is "no evidence" that the Forgetting Sarah Marshall star is "some kind of psychopath who rapes people and thinks it's normal".
"The fact he behaved normally during and after all of those 'rapes' tells you what you need to know. He believed they were all consenting," he continued, reports Sky News. "You would have to be a psychopath to be raping someone and asking them if they were enjoying it at the same time."
Winter also reminded jurors that Brand's "highly promiscuous" lifestyle was not illegal.
"Disgusting, distasteful, immoral, who cares? It's irrelevant to your consideration," he stated. "Even being manipulative in the pursuit of consensual sex is completely lawful."
Last week, the third week of the trial, Brand and his wife Laura separately took to the witness stand to testify in his defence. The prosecution presented its closing arguments on Friday.
The trial continues.
