Russell Brand admitted that at 30 he slept with a 16-year-old girl.

50-year-old stand-up comedian Russell Brand, currently awaiting trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, admitted that when he was 30, he slept with a 16-year-old girl. Brand opened up about his personal life in an interview with The Megyn Kelly Show.

"The thing is, in Europe and in the United Kingdom, where I'm from, the age of consent is 16. I actually slept with a 16-year-old when I was 30," Brand said in an interview. "I was a completely different person at 30. I was much younger and very immature for my age."

Although Brand was legally not breaking the law due to the age of consent in the UK, he admitted that he considered his actions "exploitative" due to the age and status differences. "When you're a famous man who can attract women, it's exploitative," Brand said. "I acknowledge that my sexual behavior in the past was selfish and I didn't pay enough attention to how that sex affected other people." The comedian added, "It's not up to us to decide what's right and what's wrong. God has the final say." During his conversation with Kelly, Russell also promoted his new book, "How to Become a Christian in 7 Days."

In April 2025, Brand was charged with rape, sexual assault, and psychological abuse by four different women, who claimed the incidents occurred between 1999 and 2013. Brand himself suggested in an interview that he was the target of a media conspiracy due to his shift to the political right. He also completely denied the criminal charges, insisting that all contacts were consensual. "I reject even the idea that this is a criminal offense," he said. The comedian's trial on all charges is scheduled to begin in October 2026.

Russell Brand has been married twice. His most high-profile marriage was to Katy Perry: they married in India in October 2010, but by December 2011, Brand announced his desire to divorce Perry (according to the singer, he did so via text message). He later called his ex-wife a "vacuous celebrity." In 2015, Brand reunited with Laura Gallagher, whom he had dated since 2007 (at the time, she was 19 and he was 30). The couple married in August 2017. They have three children: daughters Mabel and Peggy, and a son, due in 2023.

Photo: russellbrand/Instagram*frame from "The Megyn Kelly Show"/YouTube*