Russell Brand pleads not guilty to rape and sexual assault charges as new counts added

Russell Brand, the 50-year-old broadcaster, actor, media personality and comedian, has pleaded not guilty to two further charges — one count of rape and one count of sexual assault — at Southwark Crown Court in London. The latest pleas extend an existing set of allegations and add new timing and procedural steps that will shape the coming months of court preparation.

Russell Brand's new pleas and the charges

At a plea and trial preparation hearing on Tuesday, Brand entered not guilty pleas to two additional offences alleged to have taken place in the city in 2009 and said to relate to two women, as set out by the Crown Prosecution Service. He has also previously pleaded not guilty to five other charges that were announced in April last year; those earlier allegations relate to four women and cover alleged offences between 1999 and 2005. Taken together, Brand has now pleaded not guilty to seven charges in total.

Courtroom appearance and behaviour

Brand entered the glass-fronted dock for the hearing and spoke from the dock to confirm his name and his latest not guilty pleas. Descriptions of his attire and items he carried were recorded in court: he arrived wearing a fedora-style hat and sunglasses, and in various accounts a leopard-print or tiger-print shirt — noted as partially unbuttoned in some recountings — sometimes with a dark jacket and dangling necklaces. He carried a copy of the Bible into the court building with pages bookmarked or annotated with colourful post-it notes; in one account the Bible was taken away by a dock officer before the hearing began. When asked ahead of the hearing how he was feeling, Brand replied, "Blessed. "

Previous allegations, scheduled trial and case management

Earlier pleas cover two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault alleged to have occurred in London and Bournemouth between 1999 and 2005 and involving four women. A trial has been scheduled for June to hear the original charges. Recorder Andrew Baumgartner said there will be a case management hearing in March to address the steps needed to prepare the matters for trial. A further hearing will decide whether the new 2009 allegations should be joined to the existing case; Brand's lawyer told the court that Brand needed more time to address the further allegations.

Investigations, public statements and context

Detectives began investigating allegations into Brand following investigative coverage in 2023. Brand has denied the claims in a video posted online, stating that his relationships had been consensual and characterising the press coverage as a coordinated attack. Biographical details noted in the courtroom material include that Brand was born in Essex and rose to prominence as a stand-up comedian, later hosting TV shows such as Big Brother's Big Mouth and presenting radio programmes on national stations; he also established a film career with roles in titles including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. Personal details referenced in the wider record note that he was married to the US pop singer Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012 and is now married to Laura Gallacher; the pair have three children.

Bail, departures and incidents outside court

Brand was bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court on a date to be fixed. As he left the building after the short hearing he was observed carrying a Bible and was picked up in a black Mercedes; there was also a brief scuffle outside between his security and a cameraman in one account. At the hearing the judge renewed his bail and reminded him of bail conditions, which Brand confirmed he understood.

These developments add fresh procedural steps to a case already set for trial in June. A March case management hearing and the decision over whether to join the new allegations to the existing proceedings will determine the pace and scope of what happens next. Details may evolve as hearings proceed and further court rulings are made; the factual points above are limited to the information presented at the recent hearings and in the public record of those proceedings.