On Friday, May 30, 2025, Russell Brand pleaded not guilty to all five counts of rape and sexual assault in a London court. The 49-year-old comedian appeared in Southwark Crown Court accompanied by his lawyer, Oliver Schneider-Sikorsky. His attorney is well known for successfully defending Kevin Spacey, who was also accused of sexual assault in 2023. The two were in and out of court within 10 minutes of arriving, and Brand did not speak to any reporters as he exited.
Prosecutors confirmed a trial date starting June 3, 2026. A pretrial review is expected to occur next May. Russell Brand is currently out on conditional bail, which will remain in effect as per the judge’s ruling. Prosecutors posed no argument with his bail, and he left shortly after his plea. He currently resides in Florida and is expected to inform the courts of any address changes.
Russell Brand’s Charges
On Friday April 4, Russell Brand was arrested and charged with rape and sexual assault. After an 18-month long investigation beginning in September 2023 by the British police, they determined to have enough evidence to charge him with rape, oral rape, indecent assault, and sexual assault of four women, including a minor, between 1999 and 2005. He appeared in the Westminster Magistrates’ Court earlier this month to hear the allegations made against him.
Four women came forward regarding their unpleasant encounters with Russell Brand, and court documents detailed their admissions, which led to the charges. He is a newfound Christian and admits to being a “sex addict” before, but he denies it ever being nonconsensual.
Allegations
The Sunday Times newspaper and the British broadcaster Channel 4 were the first to report the women’s accusations against Russell Brand. One woman reports that Brand raped her in a hotel room at a 1999 conference for the Labour Party. Another claims she was dragged by her forearm to a men’s bathroom in 2001. Years later, a third victim says he groped her breasts before pulling her into a bar bathroom and forcing her to perform oral sex. The fourth woman accused him of groping and kissing her nonconsensually while on the set of a Big Brother spinoff between 2004 and 2005.
After the accusations came out over two years ago, Brand has since denied any involvement in non-consensual sex. In a video Russell Brand posted to X after he was charged, he said, “I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.” He continued, “I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Chance at Redemption
After his initial pretrial hearing when the charges were read, Russell Brand posted a video the following day to address the media. He said he “welcomed the opportunity to defend himself,” and that his “innocence is indefatigable.”
