Russell Brandhas formally been charged with rape and sexual assault. Brand began his career as a stand-up comedian and a host of theBig Brotherspin-off,Big Brother’s Big Mouth, before starring in the Hollywood comediesForgetting Sarah Marshall,Get Him to the Greek, andArthur. Throughout his career, Brand has garnered media attention for his promiscuous lifestyle, drug use, and political opinions, including promoting COVID-19 denialism and conspiracy theories. In 2023,Brand was accused of sexual assaultby four women.
Now, after an 18-month investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police, he has formally been charged with rape and sexual assault. According toDeadline,Brand has been charged with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. The police have “issued a charge and requisition” to Brand, who has a residence in Oxfordshire, South England, but has recently been living and working full-time in the United States.
Brand could potentially be taken into custody by U.S. authorities under an international arrest warrant, and the UK’s Home Office would need to file an official extradition request with Washington on behalf of the CPS to have him returned to the UK to face trial.Brand is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday, May 2. Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy shared the following statement:
The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers. The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police. A dedicated team of investigators is available via email at CIT@met.police.uk.
More On Russell Brand’s Sexual Assault Charges
The Charges Involve Four Different Women
The London Metropolitan Police’s investigation into Brand was initiated following allegations reported by Channel 4 andThe Sunday Times.The charges involve four different women. Brand is accused of raping a woman in Bournemouth in 1999, indecently assaulting another woman in Westminster in 2001, orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004, and sexually assaulting a fourth woman in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
According to one accuser, who was 16 at the time, the abuse included an alleged sexual assault in which he “forced his penis down her throat,” which ended only after she punched Brand in the stomach. Another woman claims that Brand raped her against a wall at his home in Los Angeles in 2012.Brand has denied all allegations, describing them as part of “a coordinated attack” by the mainstream media, and insisting that all encounters were “absolutely, always consensual.”
The charges againstBrandare just the beginning of what will likely be a lengthy legal process. With a potential extradition looming, his first court appearance in the UK is scheduled for May 4, and the process will stretch on for months after that. It could even take years, and may ultimately lead to a high-profile trial that draws significant public attention.
