Russell Brand Testifies at London Rape Trial, Denies All Charges and Cites Fallout
Photo: CBS NewsRussell Brand, 51, took the witness stand on Wednesday at Southwark Crown Court in London and denied all charges at his trial on three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. Six women allege offenses between 1999 and 2009. Brand has pleaded not guilty. Asked about each charge by his lawyer, Ian Winter, he answered "no" and said his entire life had been consumed by the allegations. He said friends and colleagues had abandoned him and that no one with relevant evidence had been willing to testify for him. He described the impact of the September 2023 media investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4 Dispatches as devastating. Brand said Great Ormond Street Hospital barred him from staying with his baby son during open heart surgery because of the published material. On Tuesday, Justice Bennathan reduced the final charge from indecent assault to attempted indecent assault. Prosecutors have presented their case over two weeks, and the jury has heard from the six women. Under cross-examination, Brand said he was "obsessed" with sex when younger, called consent essential, and denied pretending to be gay to gain women's trust.
The Guardian, on the left, leads with his struggle to find anyone to give evidence for him and his cross-examination: his admitted obsession with sex, his denial of posing as gay and his statements on consent. CBS News likewise stresses cross-examination, detailing the 1999 Labour Party conference allegation and his reply that he didn't think he portrayed himself as gay. The New York Post, on the right, running an AP report, leads with the "devastating" impact. It features his arrival with his wife, Laura Gallacher, his "truth and justice" remark, the hospital episode and prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones. It gives less on the cross-examination. Both sides report the denials, the lack of defense witnesses, the "consumed" quote and the charges. They differ mainly in emphasis: the left on sexual conduct and consent testimony, the right on personal consequences. The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ largely echo the testimony, though the former adds specific allegations and TMZ the "bargepole" remark.
How the sides differ Left sources stress Brand's denials and cross-examination on sex and consent; right sources lead with the personal fallout, including his son's hospital; alternative sources add the charge details.
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The Guardian and CBS News focus on Brand's testimony and cross-examination, including his remarks on consent, his past sexual behavior, and the 1999 hotel allegation, alongside his denials and difficulty finding defense witnesses.
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The Hollywood Reporter and TMZ stress that no one would testify for him; the Reporter adds the specific allegations and the judge's charge change, while TMZ uses a "bargepole" quote.
The New York Post, carrying AP, leads with Brand's account of the "devastating" personal toll, including his son's hospital restriction, and includes his courthouse remarks, his wife and the prosecutor.