Russell Brand Vows to Return to UK to Fight Assault Charges
British comedian and actor Russell Brand has pledged to return to the United Kingdom to face multiple serious criminal charges, including rape and sexual assault, filed by the Metropolitan Police.
On Friday, authorities formally charged the 49-year-old entertainer—currently residing in the United States—with a total of five offenses involving four women. The alleged incidents span from 1999 to 2005.
Specifically, Brand faces one count of rape related to a 1999 incident in Bournemouth, a charge of oral rape and a separate sexual assault from 2004 in Westminster, as well as an indecent assault in 2001 and another sexual assault between 2004 and 2005, both also in Westminster.
These charges follow a high-profile joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches in September 2023, which revealed multiple allegations of rape, sexual misconduct, and emotional abuse against Brand.
Earlier this year, Brand revealed he had relocated to Florida with his wife Laura Gallacher and their two children.
The family reportedly resides in a £1.9 million bungalow in Santa Rosa Beach.
Brand is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 2. Speaking publicly in a video shared on X (formerly Twitter), Brand denied all allegations and expressed his intent to fight the charges in court. He also accused authorities of weaponizing the legal system against him.
“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an imbecile,” he said. “But what I never was, was a rapist. I have never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
Brand added that he is thankful for the chance to defend himself in a legal setting: “I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Should he fail to appear in court as required, UK authorities may pursue extradition proceedings to compel his return from the United States.
Russell Brand Vows to Return to UK to Fight Assault Charges
