Russell Brand trial hears woman allege rape at London home

Jurors in London heard a woman allege that Russell Brand raped her at his home and then told her: “You need to clear up the mess that you’ve made.”

The account came from a complainant identified in court as Complainant 5. Her 2024 video-recorded police interview was played to the jury at Southwark Crown Court, where serious criminal cases are tried, so she would not have to retell her story in person, according to Deadline.

In that interview, she said she met Brand at a comedy gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. She alleged that he later anally raped her at his home in Hampstead, north London.

Brand faces three charges of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault based on allegations by six women. He denies all the charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Evidence from three of the six accusers was put before the jury on the day covered in the 20 October report. Deadline said it was following proceedings live through a closed video stream from the courtroom.

The prosecution has told the court that Brand acted as a ruthless sexual predator, as reported by The Guardian. Prosecutors also said the six complainants have never met each other, the BBC reported.

Another woman alleged that Brand raped her at his home and looked “horrified” afterwards, according to The Journal. The court heard that she later saw Brand again at an event, after which he sent her a text message. She also described a chance encounter with him in Scotland, The Independent reported.

A separate allegation dates back more than 25 years. The woman making that allegation gave evidence to jurors on Thursday 15 October, Reuters reported. Jury selection for the trial took place on Monday 12 October.

Brand was once one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters. The charges against him were authorised by the Crown Prosecution Service, the public body that decides whether criminal cases go to court in England and Wales.

BBC coverage of the case is being presented as part of its Fame Under Fire strand. The BBC said presenter Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty would front its reporting on the trial.