**Russell Brand Charged with Rape and Sexual Assault by U.K. Police** He has denied the allegations in a video statement shared on X.

British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been formally charged with multiple sexual offenses, London police announced on Friday.

According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police, Brand faces five charges involving four women, with incidents said to have occurred between 1999 and 2005. The charges include one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault.

In a video statement posted to X, Brand denied the accusations, stating:
"I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was was a rapist. I've never engaged in non-consensual activity."

Detectives began investigating in September 2023 after receiving several reports prompted by a joint investigation by Channel 4 and The Times of London.
Details of the Allegations:

Police outlined the charges as follows:


A woman alleges she was raped in the Bournemouth area in 1999.


Another alleges she was indecently assaulted in Westminster in 2001.


A third woman claims she was orally raped and sexually assaulted in Westminster in 2004.


A fourth alleges she was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.

None of the alleged victims have been publicly identified.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy emphasized that the investigation remains active:
"The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers. The Met’s investigation remains open, and detectives urge anyone with information to come forward."

Brand is scheduled to appear in court on May 2. He currently resides in the United States and, according to The Times of London, moved to Florida with his family last year.
Background: How We Got Here

In September 2023, The Times of London and Channel 4 aired a joint investigation, including a 90-minute documentary in which four women accused Brand of rape and sexual assault between 2006 and 2013.

One woman said she was just 16 when she had what she described as an emotionally and sexually abusive relationship with Brand, who was in his 30s. She recounted an incident in which he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex, causing her to choke. Another woman claimed Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home in 2012.

Brand has denied those allegations as well, saying he was “very, very promiscuous” but insisted his past relationships were “absolutely, always consensual.”

Following the documentary, Brand's talent agency dropped him, his comedy tour was put on hold, and the Metropolitan Police urged other potential victims to come forward.

Brand rose to prominence in the mid-2000s as a stand-up comic and television personality in the U.K., later transitioning to film roles in Hollywood hits like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. He was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.