Russell Brand Accused of Being 'Ruthless Sexual Predator' at Trial Opening
A prosecutor told jurors that the actor-comedian assaulted six women over a decade, charges to which he has pleaded not guilty.
LONDON (AP) — Russell Brand behaved as a “ruthless” sexual predator when he assaulted six women over the course of a decade, a prosecutor said Wednesday as she opened the rape and sexual assault case against the actor-comedian.
Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault. The charges involve six women and allege offenses that occurred between 1999 and 2009.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told jurors at Southwark Crown Court in London that the assaults took place in various locations, including a hotel room, workplaces, a toilet cubicle in a bar, and at Brand's home address. The six women reportedly do not know each other.
Karmy-Jones stated that at the time of the alleged offenses, Brand had an “indiscriminate and voracious” desire for sexual contact, and that “women were simply a means to an end.” She described him as funny and charming, with a “huge sexual appetite — childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met.”
“He was ruthless, he was calculating, he was manipulative. And, the prosecution say, he was a sexual predator,” Karmy-Jones told the court.
Brand listened intently from the dock as the prosecutor detailed each alleged incident. The earliest accusation involves a woman who alleges Brand raped her in a hotel room during the Labour Party’s annual conference in 1999. At that time, Brand was a rising stand-up comedian performing on the fringe of the conference in Bournemouth.
Two years later, another woman alleges that Brand attempted to drag her into the men’s toilet at her office building. In 2004, a third woman alleges that Brand orally raped her in the toilets of a London bar, reportedly telling her “Don’t be a spoilsport” when she asked him to stop.
Brand is currently on bail and arrived at court Wednesday to a crowd of photographers and journalists. He stated that he felt “blessed” and expressed hope for positive outcomes for everyone involved in the legal process.
Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s through risque stand-up routines and hosting television programs and a BBC radio show. He also appeared in Hollywood films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.” In recent years, he has shifted away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida, and developed a significant online following with videos that blend wellness, conspiracy theories, and religious discussions.
The Associated Press does not name victims of alleged sexual violence, and British law protects their identities from the media for life.