Russell Brand pled not guilty to five charges of rape and assault in London court on Friday. The comedian’s trial is now set to begin on June 3, 2026, with a pre-trial review scheduled for May 20, 2026.
He is facing two counts of sexual assault and one count each of rape, oral rape and indecent assault against four separate women, the Metropolitan Police announced in April. The investigation began in September 2023 when a number of alleged victims came forward.
Brand has long denied any wrongdoing in relation to the alleged incidents that took place between 1999 and 2005. He similarly did not speak in or outside Southwark Crown Court on Friday, apart from entering his plea.
“I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single before I had my wife and family — who are just out of shot over there, my beautiful children — I was a fool, man. I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord,” he said in an April video denying the allegations. “I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile — but what I never was, was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
Brand will remain on conditional bail until his trial begins next year.
