British Police Charge Russell Brand with Rape and Sexual Assault

The British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been charged by the Metropolitan Police with rape and sexual assault over a period of six years. The 49-year-old is accused of one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. According to the British police, Brand must answer to charges involving four women, with the incidents occurring between 1999 and 2005. Brand has been questioned multiple times by the police regarding the allegations, which were triggered by a joint investigation by leading British newspapers and Channel 4 in 2023, all of which he denied. "We have concluded that Russell Brand should be charged with rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault, among other offenses. These relate to reported, non-recent crimes between 1999 and 2005 involving four women. The women who have come forward are continuing to be supported by specially trained officers," said Chief Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal. Narwal also urged people not to report, comment on, or share online any information that could impact the proceedings, emphasizing Brand's right to a fair trial scheduled for May 2025. Brand began his career as a stand-up comedian before establishing himself as an actor and more recently lending his voice as a social commentator in online discourse. Brand has struggled with alcohol and drug addiction and has admitted in interviews to being "very, very promiscuous" before getting sober in 2003.