Russell Brand Granted Bail in UK Rape Hearing

Comedian, actor and accused rapist Russell Brand was granted bail Friday at a court hearing in London where he faces charges of rape and sexual assault.

Brand, now 49, was formally charged April 4 with two counts of sexual assault, one count each of rape, oral rape and indecent assault stemming from alleged encounters with four women between 1999 and 2005. Standing before Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring for just 14 minutes on Friday, Brand confirmed his name, birth date and address and then listened to the charges against him.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Goldspring granted Brand bail on the condition that he keep the court informed of where he is staying at all times, regardless of whether it is in the U.K. or the United States. Brand left the hearing and rode away in a black Mercedes-Benz without speaking to reporters.

Judge Goldspring has recommended Brand’s case to a higher U.K. court of justice. His first hearing is scheduled for May 30.

At Friday’s hearing, lead prosecutor Suki Dhadda said that Brand raped one of his four accusers in a hotel room at a 1999 British Labour Party conference. Another woman has accused Brand of orally raping her in a bathroom stall during a 2004 party, while a third woman says Brand attempted to drag her by her arm into a men’s bathroom at a London television station in 2001. His fourth accuser in this case claims that Brand grabbed her by the face, pushed her against a wall and forcibly kissed her while grabbing her breasts and buttocks.

Brand’s accusers remain unnamed, as British law grants victims of alleged sexual violence lifetime media anonymity. It is likely that any trial surrounding the charges against Brand will not be held until a year from now.

As is customary in the U.K. court system, no official pleas have been entered yet. Brand has, however, denied all allegations against him. The actor and comedian, who was once married to pop star Katy Perry and is best known in the U.S. for his roles in films “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek,” posted a video on social media shortly after the charges against him were announced in early April.

“I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single before I had my wife and family — who are just out of shot over there, my beautiful children — I was a fool, man. I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord,” Brand said in the video. “I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile — but what I never was, was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”

The charges against Brand have come nearly two years after Britain’s Channel 4 and The Sunday Times published a joint investigation in September 2023 detailing serious instances of alleged sexual assault committed by him against four different women between 2006 and 2013. Brand responded to that investigation by categorically denying its claims, much like how he has handled his current assault and rape charges.

In recent years, Brand has shifted from starring in Hollywood films and British TV shows to running a YouTube channel, in which he discusses contemporary politics, wellness and conspiracy theories. He is also the host of several podcasts.

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