
AI-generated summary
Russell Brand, a former British television presenter known for his provocative humor, faces charges of rape and sexual assault brought by six women relating to alleged events between 1999 and 2009. After media investigations, he was charged in 2025 and is currently on trial at Southwark Criminal Court in London.
“Like a monster”: one of the six women accusing Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault told the court how she felt “terrified” and “manipulated” by the ex-British comedian turned anti-system influencer, Thursday on the second day of his trial in London. This woman is the first to testify before the jury at Southwark Criminal Court, where she answered questions from Russell Brand's lawyer, hidden behind a large blue panel, to protect her anonymity.
She accuses the ex-comedian of having raped her in a hotel room while she was in Bournemouth (south of England) to participate in a Labor Party conference in 1999. “I know he raped me,” she said, when the lawyer suggested that she had responded positively to the advances of the star with millions of subscribers on social networks, now aged 51. “I said no, I didn’t want sex,” she insisted, her voice laced with emotion and seeming on the verge of tears.
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Tried for facts about six women
Russell Brand, out on bail, is on trial for three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault on six women between 1999 and 2009, when he was a star television presenter in the United Kingdom, known for his provocative and readily lewd humor. He denies the charges against him. The women came forward to police after seeing investigations into him in British media.
The first to testify Thursday claimed she took him to her room because she felt “safe,” thinking “he was gay.” She said she spoke with Russell Brand after his show, before offering to continue their discussion about a possible theater project in his hotel room. “He manipulated me, he put me at ease to the point of making me believe that I ran no risk in his company,” she detailed, recounting that once in the room, Russell Brand had behaved “like a monster” and that she was “terrified”. She also said she didn't file a complaint at the time because she was "ashamed." “I thought no one would believe me.”
Having become a star influencer, Russell Brand, who was briefly married to American singer Katy Perry, presents himself as a fervent defender of the Christian faith and regularly expresses conspiratorial ideas. Arriving in court on Wednesday, he said he “feels blessed” and hopes for “a positive outcome for everyone involved”. After his indictment in 2025, he assured on the social network X that he had “never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity”.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The trial will continue with testimony from the five other female accusers over the coming days.
Very likely · Within days
Russell Brand will continue to deny all accusations against him throughout the trial.
Very likely · Within weeks

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