A former personal assistant for Russell Brand told a court on Monday that she was instructed to obtain phone numbers for the entertainer from female fans when she began working for him in 2006. Helen Berger stated that the request made her feel "uncomfortable" and that she ceased fulfilling such requests after seeking advice.
Brand, 51, is facing three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one charge of indecent assault. The allegations, brought forward by six complainants, cover a period between 1999 and 2009. Brand has denied all charges.
Berger, who worked with Brand from June 2006 to February 2007, described the work environment as one where Brand would ask if he could "go and have sex now" when frustrated with a task. She told Southwark Crown Court in a written statement that Brand had an "insane sexual appetite" and that he "found random women online to satisfy his 'insane sexual appetite' and was sleeping with people day and night." She added that he used MySpace to find women and that women frequently visited his home with the clear intention of sexual encounters.
She recalled witnessing a female celebrity asleep in Brand's bed while he was partially undressed in the house. Berger also noted that while she never "witnessed anything against the law," Brand's behavior was normalized and dismissed by those around him, leading her to believe it was accepted.
Berger stated she left her job because she was "sick of him." She also indicated that sex often left Brand depressed.
Brand's defense team contends that any sexual activity was consensual and that accounts have been distorted in light of a 2023 documentary that detailed allegations of sexual abuse against the entertainer. The prosecution is expected to conclude its presentation on Tuesday morning.