Russell Brand Pleads Not Guilty to Further Rape and Sexual Assault Charges
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Russell Brand appeared in a London court and pleaded not guilty to two new sexual assault charges, including one of anal rape, related to incidents in 2009.
- These charges are in addition to five previous sexual assault charges, including one of rape and one of oral rape, to which he also pleaded not guilty last year.
- Brand is scheduled for a trial on the original five charges starting June 3, with discussions ongoing about whether to combine the new charges into this trial.
- British law restricts identifying sexual assault complainants and limits reporting details that could influence jury impartiality.
- Brand gained fame as a comedian and actor in the 2000s and now has a significant following as a politically engaged social media commentator
