British police charged comedian Russell Brand on Friday with multiple counts of sexual assault and rape. Prosecutors say the alleged incidents, which involve four women, took place between 1999 and 2005.
Police began looking into Brand after the Sunday Times, the Times of London, and Channel 4’s Dispatches published a joint investigation in September 2023 in which multiple women accused the controversial comedian of sexual violence as well as emotional and physical abuse. Brand’s representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Brand had previously denied the allegations against him, saying his relationships were “absolutely always consensual” and casting the accusations as a coordinated smear.
The 50-year-old entertainer is facing one count of rape, one count of oral rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault. The Metropolitan Police in London alleged in a news release that Brand raped a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999, indecently assaulted a second woman in London in 2001, orally raped and sexually assaulted a third woman in London in 2004, and sexually assaulted a fourth woman in London sometime between 2004 and 2005. Brand responded to these charges in a video posted on X, saying, “I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict, and an imbecile. But what I never was was a rapist. I never engaged in non-consensual activity.”
The identities of Brand’s accusers are not public. British law prohibits media outlets from identifying sexual-assault victims unless they choose to waive their right to anonymity.
In recent years, Brand has peddled conspiracy theories and become increasingly right wing. Last year, he attended the Republican National Convention and joined Tucker Carlson’s live tour. He also converted to Christianity.
Brand, who recently said he is currently residing in the United States, is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London for his first hearing on May 2.
This story has been updated with Brand’s response to the charges against him.
