Former MTV Worker Tells Brand Trial She Feared Being Seen as Trouble

A former MTV employee told a London jury she did not report an alleged rape by Russell Brand for almost 20 years because she feared being "seen as trouble".

Giving evidence as Complainant 3, meaning the third accuser to testify under court anonymity, the woman spoke on Monday at Southwark Crown Court from behind a screen so Brand could not see her, as reported by Deadline.

She alleged Brand orally raped her in July 2004 during a television producer's birthday party at the Nordic Bar in Soho. She said he grabbed her breasts while talking to her at the bar, then dragged her into the toilet and forced his penis into her mouth.

The court heard she telephoned the producer a couple of days later. She warned him Brand was a "sexual predator" who had tried to sexually assault her. She did not describe oral rape in that call.

She said she made no formal report until 2023. That was when she learned of an investigation into Brand's conduct by The Times of London and Channel 4.

Asked why she had waited, she said she feared being seen as trouble. She added that the "media industry protects its own". When asked if she had been concerned for her job, she said employment was "way down" her list of concerns at the time.

At the time of the alleged incident, Brand was not employed by MTV. He was presenting Big Brother's EFourum on Channel 4, a companion programme later renamed Big Brother's Big Mouth.

Brand, 51, denies all charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

He faces three charges of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault relating to six women, who the court heard have never met each other, according to the BBC. Prosecutors have described him in court as a ruthless sexual predator, as reported by Reuters.

Jury selection for the trial took place on October 12. The case is continuing, with further evidence to be heard.