British comedian Russell Brand denies new rape, assault charges

UK comedian and actor Russell Brand pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to two new charges of rape and sexual assault during a court appearance in London.

Brand appeared at Southwark Crown Court carrying a copy of the Bible, News.Az reports, citing AFP.

He was dressed in a leopard-print shirt and a dark coat as he entered the courthouse.

The 50-year-old denied allegations that he sexually assaulted one woman in London in 2009 and raped another woman in the same year, also in the British capital. His bail was renewed following the brief hearing, and he is scheduled to stand trial in June.

According to the Metropolitan Police, Brand now faces sexual offence charges involving a total of six women.

In May, he pleaded not guilty to five additional charges connected to four women — including one count of rape, one of oral rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault — allegedly committed between 1999 and 2005.

“These new charges are in relation to two further women and are in addition to the charges issued to Brand in April 2025 which involved four women,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement released in December.

Born in 1975 in Essex to working-class parents, Brand began performing stand-up comedy as a teenager. He later rose to prominence as an MTV presenter and as the host of a reality television series.

He also presented a show on BBC Radio 2 from 2006 to 2008. He resigned from the role after an on-air prank in which he left a sexually explicit voicemail for actor Andrew Sachs, known for his role in Fawlty Towers, concerning Sachs’ granddaughter.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev