Highlights
- Russell Brand was called a calculating sexual predator as his high-profile UK rape trial officially begins today.
- The actor pleaded not guilty to seven total charges of rape and sexual assault against six different anonymous women.
- Prosecutors claim Brand used his fame to prey on victims, while he told journalists outside that he feels blessed.
“He was ruthless, he was calculating, he was manipulative.” This is how prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones described Russell Brand to a London jury on Wednesday (October 14, 2026) as his rape and sexual assault trial officially began.
The 51-year-old actor and comedian faces three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault against six different women. Brand has firmly pleaded not guilty to all of the allegations.
The alleged offenses occurred over a decade, from 1999 to 2009. Karmy-Jones told jurors the women, who do not know each other, were allegedly assaulted across various locations, including “a hotel room, workplaces, a toilet cubicle in a bar and at his home address.”
According to the prosecution, the former television host viewed his accusers merely as “a means to an end.” Karmy-Jones stated that during this era, Brand harbored an “indiscriminate and voracious” desire for sexual contact.
While acknowledging his public persona of humor and charm, the prosecutor painted a much darker picture of the celebrity behind closed doors. She described him as “a flirt with a huge sexual appetite — childlike in his expectation that his every desire should be met.”
“And, the prosecution say, he was a sexual predator,” Karmy-Jones firmly concluded to the Southwark Crown Court jury.
The court also heard specific allegations regarding how Brand allegedly responded to resistance. In one detailed instance, the prosecutor claimed a woman asked him to stop, “at first quietly and then louder, a number of times, begging. He did not.”
Detectives first began their extensive investigation into the actor in September 2023. The Metropolitan Police launched their inquiry after receiving multiple allegations following an explosive joint report by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times.
Prosecutors then brought these criminal charges against the actor in two stages. Five counts were originally brought in April 2025, while two further counts of rape and sexual assault were added later that December.
Brand is currently on bail and arrived at the courthouse flanked by his wife, Laura Gallacher, amid a massive crowd of journalists and photographers. When questioned by the press outside, the comedian struck a spiritual tone regarding the legal battle ahead.
“I feel blessed,” Brand told a reporter before entering the building. He acknowledged the gravity of the situation while maintaining his overall innocence to the press.
“I feel, of course, concerned but hopeful that this process will lead to good outcomes for everybody involved,” Brand said. Facing the cameras directly, he added, “That’s my prayer.”
Once known for mainstream Hollywood comedies like Get Him to the Greek, Brand has spent recent years building a lucrative online following in Florida by mixing wellness content with conspiracy theories.
The complex legal battle is expected to last up to 10 weeks in London. Under British law, the identities of the six accusers will remain permanently protected from the media.
