A 50-year-old comedian appeared via video link from the United States to face charges including rape and sexual assault involving two women.
Comedian Russell Brand has appeared in a UK court via video link from the United States after being charged with two additional sexual offences, including rape. The 50-year-old comedian was charged in December in relation to two women, with the alleged offences taking place in 2009.
Brand previously denied two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault over alleged incidents between 1999 and 2005 involving four women.
During a brief hearing at Westminster Magistratesβ Court on Tuesday, Brand confirmed his name and date of birth while appearing via video link from Florida. He wore a partly unbuttoned blue denim shirt and did not make any other comments.
The chief magistrate, Paul Goldspring, noted that one of the new charges is “indictable only,” meaning it can only be tried at a Crown Court. Brand was granted bail to appear at Southwark Crown Court in London on 17 February for a pre-trial preparation hearing. A trial is also scheduled later this year concerning the five original charges.
The charges follow an investigation by Channel 4 and the Sunday Times, in which several women alleged sexual offences against the comedian. Prior to publication of the investigation, Brand posted a video online denying the claims and asserting that all of his relationships had been consensual, describing the media coverage as a “coordinated attack.”
Brand is known for presenting the BBC Radio 2 show between 2006 and 2008, as well as Big Brother spin-offs Big Brotherβs Big Mouth and Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack.
He was married to US pop singer Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012 and is currently married to Laura Gallacher, the sister of TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher. The couple have two children, Mabel and Peggy.
