British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been charged with multiple sexual offences following a 13-month investigation by the Metropolitan Police, sparked by an investigation by the Times newspaper into his alleged treatment of women.
The 50-year-old faces one count each of rape, indecent assault, and oral rape, plus two counts of sexual assault, linked to purported incidents involving four women between 1999 and 2005 in Bournemouth and Westminster, London. He is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 2.
The charges include the rape of a woman in Bournemouth in 1999, an indecent assault in Westminster in 2001, and the oral rape and sexual assault of another woman in Westminster between 2004 and 2005. He has denied all allegations, insisting his relationships were consensual. The investigation intensified after The Times, Sunday Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches exposed claims last year, prompting potential victims nationwide to contact police. Brand was interviewed under caution three times.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, leading the investigation, said the women reporting the incidents continue to receive support from trained professionals. The Met, aided by a unit formed post-Jimmy Savile to tackle ‘non-recent’ offences, passed evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in November. CPS prosecutor Jaswant Narwal stressed the active legal proceedings, urging the public to avoid commentary that could prejudice Brand’s right to a fair trial.
Russell Brand: ‘I would not live like that now’
In a 223 interview with ex-Fox host Tucker Carlson, Brand said ‘I’m aware that I put myself in an extremely vulnerable position by being very, very promiscuous. That is not the type of conduct I endorse and it’s certainly not how I would live now.’
Brand, once a prominent TV presenter, comedian and Hollywood star, rose to fame in the 2000s with roles in films like Get Him to the Greek. Recently, he’s become more of an online influencer character, promoting wellness and Christianity.
