Russell Brand arrives at London court ahead of October trial
Russell Brand arrived at Southwark Crown Court in London on 6 October for a pre-trial hearing ahead of his criminal trial.
The British actor and comedian arrived about an hour early for the hearing outside the court. He remains on bail, Deadline reported.
The pre-trial hearing is expected to last two full days. It deals with legal and administrative matters that must be settled before a jury hears the case. The main trial is scheduled to start on Monday, 12 October, and is anticipated to run for around 10 to 12 weeks.
Brand has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault. The accusations involve six women. The alleged offences span from 1999 to 2009.
Detectives began investigating more than two years ago. The investigation followed a joint investigation by Channel 4 and The Sunday Times.
The case has built up in stages. Brand pleaded not guilty in a London court to charges of rape and sexual assault on 30 May 2025, according to Reuters. He later appeared by video link in January 2026 after being charged with additional sexual offences, Reuters reported.
In February 2026, he pleaded not guilty to two further charges of rape and sexual assault, according to Reuters. The Crown Prosecution Service, the body that authorises criminal charges in England and Wales, said it had authorised further charges against Brand. He was initially charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.
The BBC has also confirmed that its programme Fame Under Fire will return to cover the trial. The corporation announced the return on 1 October, according to its media centre.
