Russell Brand pleads not guilty in London court to new rape and sexual assault charges, with trial set for June

LONDON: British actor and comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty in a London court on Tuesday ⁠to two additional charges of rape and sexual assault nearly two decades ago.

Brand, once one of Britain’s ​most high-profile broadcasters and former husband of U.S. singer Katy ‌Perry, appeared at Southwark Crown Court in ​London and denied accusations of raping one woman and sexually assaulting a second woman in 2009.

He was charged last year with two counts of ​rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault ⁠against four ‌women between ​1999 and 2005.

Brand pleaded not guilty ​in May last year to those five charges and ​is due to stand trial in June. A hearing will be held next month to decide whether the new allegations should be joined to that case, with Brand’s lawyer saying his client needed more time ‌to address the latest offences.

Brand, 50, arrived at court wearing a white cowboy hat and sunglasses. Asked how he was feeling, Brand, who said in 2024 he had become a Christian, told reporters he was feeling “blessed”.

Brand ⁠was a ‌regular on British screens in the 2000s. He was known for his flamboyant style and appearance, and also worked as a radio presenter ​for the BBC.

He also starred in a number of films including “Get ​Him ​to the Greek” in 2010, the same year he ‌married Perry. ​They divorced in 2012 after 14 months of marriage.

By the early 2020s, Brand had faded from mainstream culture and has since largely appeared online, airing his views on ​U.S. politics and free speech.

 The Sun Malaysia