Russell Brand acknowledged in court that he had misused his fame and dedicated his life to "beyond reckless philandering," asking jurors for forgiveness as he faced charges of rape and sexual assault.
Giving evidence at Southwark Crown Court, the 51-year-old comedian admitted that it was "wrong" to have used his celebrity status to "facilitate sexual access." He told the court that he had been "persuasive, seductive, begging and flirting" with women throughout his life, and that this behavior was "beyond reckless, philandering and idiocy."
Brand's defense, which lasted just one day, comes after a three-year police investigation and nearly two weeks of allegations from seven women. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include three counts of rape, three of sexual assault, and one of attempted indecent assault.
During his testimony, Brand appeared at times lost for words and requested clarification on questions. He admitted to jurors that his recollection of events had changed since his initial defense statement and that some details were inconsistent. He also acknowledged that he had been unable to persuade any witnesses to testify on his behalf following a Channel 4 documentary that first revealed the allegations against him.
"Since these events occurred, there's been escalating recollection," Brand stated. "It's been a deeply traumatic episode of my life I've focused on, at the expense of my marriage, my children and health. I ask your forgiveness... I recognise that this recollection includes small details that are inconsistent and I acknowledge that."
He conceded that as he became more successful, he "misused that commodity very selfishly and regrettably," and agreed that allowing fame to facilitate sexual access was wrong.
Earlier in the trial, the prosecution presented evidence suggesting Brand referred to one accuser as a "tart" in his phone contacts and described a threesome with two women as a "marvellous night." Brand claimed he did not know the numbers related to his goal of sleeping with 5,000 women but found it "difficult to dispute" his conduct during those years.
When questioned about the alleged rape of a woman who developed an alcohol addiction afterward, Brand stated he had a "vague recollection" of blood or excrement on his sheets but nothing he considered remarkable at the time. He told jurors that he had been "obsessed" with sex as a younger man, frequently having encounters with women he had just met.
Brand's defense team highlighted his assertion that consent is "non-negotiable" and "more important than sex itself." However, prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones, KC, pressed him on his attitude towards women and his reported goal of bedding 5,000 women.
Brand acknowledged his past behavior, including descriptions from his 2007 autobiography, "My Booky Wook," where he wrote of his "birthright orgasm" and his "egotism and the single-mindedness with which I pursued potentially sexual conquests."
He is accused of inviting one victim back to his home for an alleged anal rape days after meeting her and another woman, then aged 19, after a gig in 2009. The court heard that the then-33-year-old Brand reportedly picked the youngest victim, then 21, and the 19-year-old out of a line-up of fans for the threesome.
Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher, and his father, Ron, were present in the public gallery during his testimony. The trial is expected to conclude shortly.