Russell Brand says rape allegations had ‘devastating’ impact on his life in court testimony

LONDON (AP) — Actor-comedian Russell Brand said allegations of sexual misconduct have had a “devastating” impact on his life, as he testified in court Wednesday at his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault.

Brand entered Southwark Crown Court alongside his wife, Laura Gallacher, telling reporters that “today is the day for truth and justice.”

Brand, 51, stood in the witness box and took the oath, then gave his full name: Russell Edward Brand. He answered “no” to each of the charges: three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.

Questioned by his lawyer, Ian Winter, Brand said the allegations had a “devastating” impact, with friends and colleagues abandoning him. He said no one with relevant evidence had been willing to testify in court on his behalf.

“My entire life has been consumed by these events, these allegations, these accusations,” he said.

Brand said he was even forbidden from staying with his baby son in hospital after anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him in a newspaper and a TV documentary in 2023.

“The reason given by Great Ormond Street Hospital when my son was receiving open heart surgery and subsequent treatment was due to the material published,” he said.

Over the past two weeks of the trial, prosecutors have set out their case, and the jury heard from six women who accuse Brand of sexual misconduct between 1999 and 2009.

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told jurors that Brand was “ruthless, he was calculating, he was manipulative. And, the prosecution said, he was a sexual predator.”

As the defense attorney asked Brand about each of the alleged incidents, which his accusers said took place in locations including a hotel room, the offices of MTV and the toilet of a London bar, he denied forcing women to do anything against their will.

“Consent is fundamental, essential, necessary, and indeed in many ways more important than sex itself,” Brand said.

Known for risqué stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show.

He appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek” and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.

In recent years, he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida, and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories, and discussions of his religious devotion.