Russell Brand appears in U.K. court on rape, sexual assault and indecent assault charges

Russell Brand appeared in a U.K. court on Friday to face multiple charges of rape, sexual assault and indecent assault. 

Brand did not speak to journalists as he arrived at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.

The actor and comedian is charged with two counts of sexual assault, one count of indecent assault, one count of rape and one count of oral rape. The charges were announced by prosecutors last month after British media outlets published allegations in 2023 by four women against Brand.

“We carefully reviewed the evidence after a police investigation into allegations made following the broadcast of a Channel 4, Sunday Times and Times investigation in September 2023,” prosecutors said in April.

“We have concluded that Russell Brand should be charged with offenses including rape, sexual assault and indecent assault. These relate to reported non-recent offences between 1999 and 2005, involving four women,” prosecutors said.

“I’m aware that I put myself in an extremely vulnerable position by being very, very promiscuous, [but] that is not the type of conduct I endorse, and it’s certainly not how I would live now,” Brand told Tucker Carlson in an interview published on YouTube in January last year.

“Of course, I deny any allegations of the kind that have been advanced,” Brand said.

The actor was asked to stand for Friday’s hearing, which lasted around 12 minutes, CBS News partner network BBC News reported. He did not enter a plea.

Brand was granted conditional bail, and a hearing was scheduled at England’s Central Criminal Court for May 30.

Brand spoke during the hearing only to confirm his name, birthday, address and that he understood his bail conditions.