Russell Brand Accused of Rape and Sexual Assault in London Court

Russell Brand 'looked possessed' and his eyes were 'completely blank' as he raped a woman in a cocktail bar toilet, a court heard. The comedian allegedly dragged the woman, who was in her 20s and working for MTV at the time, into a cubicle before locking the door and forcing her to perform a sex act on him.

He is said to have told her 'don't be a spoilsport' during the alleged assault at Nordic Bar in Soho in 2004. The woman's sister told jurors at London's Southwark Crown Court that her sister was 'very subdued, distant and not her usual self' the following morning.

'I asked whether she'd had a good night out and she said no, Russell Brand had pulled her into a toilet, locked the door and tried to assault her,' said the sister, who cannot be named for legal reasons. The witness stated her sister only revealed the full extent of the alleged incident after seeing news reports about Brand in 2023.

She recounted her sister describing Brand's eyes as 'completely blank' and that he 'looked possessed or a completely different person' as he forced her into oral sex.

Testimony from Former Assistant

Meanwhile, Brand's former personal assistant told the court she witnessed him mistreating women and accused those close to him of 'normalizing bad behaviour'. Helen Berger worked with Brand in 2006 and 2007, a period when he was a regular face on television and performing stand-up comedy.

Ms. Berger stated that Brand had an 'insane sexual appetite' and was frequently involved with multiple partners, often found through social media. In a statement to the court, she said: 'Though I've worked with a lot of celebrities before and seen a lot of people normalising bad behaviour, this was on another level.'

She described Brand's behavior at his flat, noting he often wore only underwear and no shirt. Ms. Berger expressed that she was 'exhausted, emotional, and it was a lot to deal with' and she 'always had to manage my emotions around him.' She also recalled an instance where Brand conducted an interview with actress Sadie Frost while wearing only his pants and an open robe.

On another occasion, Ms. Berger reported finding a female celebrity asleep in Brand's bed while he was partially dressed. She added, 'He was like a peacock, women would always approach him.' Ms. Berger said she was initially instructed to obtain phone numbers from female fans, a task she later refused to continue due to discomfort.

Ms. Berger also recalled Brand abruptly dismissing a woman at a party once he learned she was in a relationship. 'He turned in a way that really startled me. He literally switched off his charm and moved on to the next woman,' she said. Ms. Berger stated she quit her job after nine months, feeling 'sick of him and feeling burned out.'

Further Allegations

Separately, the manager of a Channel 4 worker who claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand during a forced massage at a recording session said she remembered her colleague being 'shocked' by the incident. Another colleague testified that she recalled being told about a 'chaotic' session where the actor had 'refused to record unless she gave him a massage.'

Last week, the alleged victim testified that she felt 'repulsed' after being forced to massage Brand, who then thrust his head into her lap. She claimed Brand's associates allegedly goaded her to perform the massage and then laughed as the assault occurred.

Brand is accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one charge of indecent assault. He denies all charges. The trial is ongoing.