In London's Southwark Crown Court on Friday, comedian-actor Russell Brand pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of sexual assault and rape concerning four women that date back over 25 years. Set to turn 50 next week, Brand entered pleas of "not guilty" to one count of indecent assault, two counts of sexual assault, and two counts of rape as every single one of the charges was read aloud in the court.
Brand's trial is slated to commence on June 03 next year and is anticipated to last between four and five weeks.
According to prosecutors, the offenses occurred from 1999 to 2005, with three incidences reported in London and the other in Bournemouth. One accuser alleges that Brand raped her in a Bournemouth hotel in 1999. She claims she met Brand at an event during a Labour Party conference where the latter was performing. Upon returning from the bathroom, she found Brand undressed, and he allegedly pushed her onto the bed and raped her.
Another woman told the court that in 2001, Brand tried dragging her into a toilet for men at a London television station.
A third accuser, a television employee, met the actor in a bar during a 2004 birthday party. She claims he grabbed her breasts before pulling her into a toilet and forcing her to perform oral sex.
The fourth accuser, who worked at a radio station, met Brand between 2004 and 2005 while he was involved with a spin-off of the Big Brother reality television program. She reported that Brand grabbed her face with both hands, pushed her against a wall, and then kissed her before groping her breasts and buttocks.
In accordance with British law, the identities of alleged victims of sexual violence are protected from media disclosure for life.