Accuser describes alleged assault after Labour conference
A woman has told a jury that Russell Brand raped her in her hotel room after she took photographs of him in his underwear. Giving evidence on the fourth day of Brand's rape trial at Southwark Crown Court in London, the woman described meeting the comedian on the fringes of the Labour Party Conference in Bournemouth in 1999, when she was in her twenties. She said he tugged her ponytail and struck up a conversation, and she found him polite, courteous and attentive, assuming he was gay and not feeling physically attracted to him.[S1]
The woman proposed that Brand accompany her to her hotel room following a cabaret performance he took part in, since she had no interest in visiting a bar or club. In her account to police, she regarded his behavior as that of a gentleman and never interpreted it as a romantic advance. After they arrived, she said she used the bathroom and came back to discover Brand wearing only briefs and clowning around. She claimed he requested that she photograph him and that he grew visibly aroused while she did so.[S1]
The complainant, who has a lifelong right to anonymity, alleged that Brand pushed her onto the bed, pulled down her trousers and underwear, and raped her. She repeatedly told police she remembered his weight on her and that he tried to put his fingers in her mouth. She said he was pushing and pushing until he ejaculated. She told detectives she said no and drifted out of her head, wanting him to finish quickly and get off her, while he made noises of enjoyment and told her she was pretty.[S1]
Complainant says she felt 'dirty' and blamed herself
Following the alleged attack, the woman recounted that Brand informed her he undergoes regular testing for sexually transmitted infections. According to her recollection, he mentioned needing to depart to be with his mother, then jotted down his email address and left her hotel room while attempting to kiss her on his way out. In her statements to detectives, she described feeling profoundly unclean and blamed herself for what happened. She also remembered being aware that she was crying and feeling foolish.[S1]
The woman explained that she held off reporting the alleged incident at the time out of concern that authorities would question what she had anticipated by asking him up to her hotel room. Her decision to approach police came only after she viewed the 2023 Channel 4 documentary Russell Brand: In Plain Sight. She admitted to detectives that she felt guilty for speaking up now rather than sooner. The court additionally heard that she worried she could be pregnant following the alleged rape.[S1][S3]
Prosecution case and Brand's defence
Brand, a comedian who has become an influential figure in the MAGA sphere, is charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault, all arising from allegations brought by six women. He has entered not guilty pleas to every charge. Giving evidence on Wednesday, prosecution barrister Riel Karmy-Jones characterized Brand as charming, ruthless and calculating in pursuing his appetite for sexual activity. Karmy-Jones emphasized that none of the women who came forward are acquainted with one another.[S1][S2]
Brand is expected to present his defence at a later stage of the trial. The court heard multiple times that he chose not to respond to questions during police interviews, instead depending on a prepared statement in which he asserted he had no recollection of meeting the women and could not remember their names. He maintained that any sexual contact was consensual. The trial is ongoing.[S1]
