Accuser describes alleged attack and its aftermath
A woman has told a jury that Russell Brand raped her in a hotel room, leaving her feeling unclean and worried she could be pregnant. She described how he shifted from being camp, friendly and effeminate to something monstrous before the alleged attack. The complainant, who first encountered Brand at the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth before he became famous, believed he was gay and therefore felt safe with him sexually. She claims that once they were in a hotel room, he instructed her to photograph him shirtless and then raped her. She said the experience left her in shock and blaming herself.[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6]
In a police interview recorded in 2023 and played to the jury, the woman said she second-guessed whether it was rape because it felt so normal. She described Brand touching her breasts while kissing her neck. She said she delayed reporting because she worried it would damage her career and was told her career would be over if she spoke out. She also said she had nightmares about the possibility of being pregnant. Under cross-examination, Brand's barrister Ian Winter KC suggested she welcomed Brand's attention and fell under his spell, which she denied. She said she went back to the hotel room because she thought he was gay and felt safe.[S1]
Charges and trial details
Russell Brand, aged 51, is charged with seven offences: three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault. Six women have made allegations covering a decade from 1999 to 2009. Brand denies all charges and has entered not guilty pleas, stating that any sexual activity, if it occurred, was consensual. The trial at Southwark Crown Court is scheduled to run for six weeks. Brand first gained prominence as a stand-up comedian and later became widely known for hosting programmes like Big Brother's Big Mouth and his own radio shows on stations such as BBC Radio 2.[S1]
