Prosecution Closes Case in Russell Brand Trial as Defence Prepares to Respond

The prosecution has closed its case in the trial of Russell Brand at Southwark Crown Court in London, after nearly two weeks of evidence, according to The Guardian. The defence was due to begin presenting its case on 28 October 2026.

Brand, 51, is charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. The charges relate to allegations dating from 1999 to 2009. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them, meaning he denies the charges. Southwark Crown Court is where serious criminal cases in London are heard before a jury of members of the public.

The trial began on 12 October. The presiding judge is Mr Justice Bennathan. A British prosecutor accused Brand of assaulting six women over the course of a decade, as AP reported.

During the trial, one charge changed. The indecent assault count was amended to attempted indecent assault. It concerns an allegation that Brand grabbed a female MTV worker by the arm and tried to drag her into a toilet. The judge told jurors there was insufficient evidence to support the original charge of indecent assault.

Much of the evidence has centred on the accounts of the women. The court was told that Brand was "ruthless, calculated and manipulative". A former personal assistant alleged that he was "sleeping with people day and night". One alleged victim told the court that Brand "pranced around like an ostrich" before, she said, attacking her in a hotel room. Another told the court that Brand had allegedly sexually assaulted her within a minute of meeting her. A further witness said Brand had told a woman to "clear up the mess" after an alleged rape at his London home.

Brand was interviewed by police on four occasions, in November 2023, December 2023, January 2024 and July 2025. At the trial, prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones read out a pre-prepared statement Brand gave police in November 2023. In it, he said he had never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity.

The charges have changed since they were first brought. In April 2025, the Crown Prosecution Service, the public body that brings criminal cases in England and Wales, authorised charges of two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault. The service later authorised further charges, as it announced in December 2025.