Russell Brand faces new charges of rape and sexual assault
Police have filed further charges of rape and sexual assault against comedian Russell Brand after two more alleged victims came forward.
The 50-year-old comedian has been charged with one count of rape and one count of sexual assault against two women, law enforcement said in a statement. They also noted that the women who spoke out against Brand "continue to receive support" from specialists, and that the investigation into Brand's case is ongoing.
Police launched an investigation into Brand in 2023 following a series of allegations from women following Channel 4 and Sunday Times reports about the comedian. After nearly two years of investigation, in April 2025, he faced new legal challenges: Brand was charged with one count of rape, one count of oral rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault based on allegations from four women.
Some of the alleged incidents occurred between 1999 and 2005. Another woman claimed that Brand raped her "against a wall" in his Los Angeles home in 2012. Another alleged victim described being in an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship with the actor when she was just 16 years old (Brand was in his 30s at the time).
Amid the scandal, Brand himself posted a video on Instagram* in which he denied the charges against him. The comedian told his followers that although he was a "fool" in his youth, he "never engaged in non-consensual activity." "I pray you can see it when you look me in the eye," he said in the video. Brand is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in January 2026 in connection with the two new charges. As for the five original charges, Brand's trial is scheduled to begin at the Royal Courts of Justice in London in June 2026.
Russell Brand married American singer Katy Perry in 2010, but the marriage ended in divorce 14 months later. Later, in the wake of scandals surrounding rape allegations against the actor, media reports surfaced that Perry "knew the truth" about his crimes. Since 2017, Brand has been married to Laura Gallagher, with whom he has two daughters and a son.
The actor previously admitted to problems with drugs and alcohol, and also said he suffered from bipolar disorder. In 2007, Brand admitted in an interview that he had slept with more than 2,000 women in his life.
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