- Title: FILE: UK comedian Russell Brand trial on rape, sex assault charges delayed
- Date: 4th April 2025
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - FEBRUARY 24, 2026) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ACTOR AND COMEDIAN RUSSELL BRAND GETTING INTO CAR AFTER LEAVING COURT AFTER PLEADING NOT GUILTY TO TWO CHARGES OF RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT RELATING TO TWO WOMEN NEARLY TWO DECADES AGO LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - MAY 2, 2025) (REUTERS) BRAND WALKING TOWA
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- Keywords: British comedian and actor Russell Brand TV personality ex-wife Katy Perry
- Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
- Country: UK
- Topics: Celebrities,Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA001429504042025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS PROFANITY IN SHOT 15
British actor and comedian Russell Brand's trial on seven charges of rape and sexual assault relating to six women will take place in October, a London judge said on Monday (March 30).
Brand, once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and former husband of U.S. singer Katy Perry, was not required to and did not appear at Southwark Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on Monday.
He has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges: three counts of rape and four counts of indecent or sexual assault allegedly committed between 1999 and 2009.
Brand, 50, was due to stand trial in June on five of the charges, before he was charged in December with two additional offenses. Judge Joel Bennathan said the trial would now start in October and take up to eight weeks.
Brand was a regular on British screens in the 2000s. He was known for his flamboyant style and appearance, and also worked as a radio presenter for the BBC.
He also starred in a number of films including "Get Him to the Greek" in 2010, the same year he married Perry. They divorced in 2012 after 14 months of marriage.
By the early 2020s, Brand had faded from mainstream culture and has since largely appeared online, airing his views on U.S. politics and free speech.
In September 2023, he returned to the headlines when the Sunday Times newspaper and Channel 4 TV's documentary show "Dispatches" reported the rape allegations.
They said four women had accused Brand of sexual assaults, including a rape, between 2006 and 2013. London's Met police opened a sex crimes investigation some weeks later.
Brand said then he "absolutely refuted" the allegations.
In December 2025, Brand spoke at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest conference, honoring the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He joked about saying the wrong thing and "messing up," while praying on stage. He then told the audience that "as a proud Englishman from a country where they're introducing facial recognition technology, digital I.D. ending trial by jury, incarcerating people for free speech, the United Kingdom is in trouble."
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