The 50-year-old, who built his career across television, radio, and film before shifting into podcasting and political commentary, has been candid about his long‑standing struggles with mental health, including substance abuse and pornography addiction.
Despite his challenges, he insisted in a 2006 interview with the Independent that he’s “not just some bloke going around being lecherous.”
“I like being charming but I’ve not got a sexual motivation,” he said.
But in 2023, a slew of charges allegedly say otherwise.
Legal troubles
An investigation into Brand’s alleged misconduct started after a joint report by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times brought forward testimonies from four women who accused him of sexual assault and rape. That report triggered a police inquiry, which has since developed into a criminal case with formal charges.
According to court records, the first set of charges filed by the Metropolitan Police included five separate offenses tied to incidents between 1999 and 2005. The charges – involving four different women – consist of one count of rape, one count of oral rape, one count of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault.
NBC reports that in one incident, a woman accused Brand of “grabbing her arm and dragging her towards a male toilet.” In another, he is accused of touching a woman’s breasts without her consent.
‘I was a fool man’
Maintaining his innocence, the Essex-born Brand shared a statement on X with his fans, insisting he has “never engaged in nonconsensual activity.”
“I’ve always told you guys that when I was young and single, before I had my wife and family…I was a fool man. I was a fool before I lived in the light of the lord,” the father of three said in his April 2025 message. “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. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes. I want to thank all of you for your continuing support.”
Then in May, the star of Get Him to the Greek appeared in court and entered a not guilty plea to all five original charges during a hearing at Southwark Crown Court.
New charges
On Dec. 23, 2025, Metropolitan Police released a statement, announcing the actor is facing two new charges – one count of rape and one count of sexual assault – linked to “two further women” in addition to the earlier charges issued.
“The women who have made reports, including those connected to the two new charges, continue to receive support from specially trained officers,” Detective Chief Inspector Tariq Farooqi said in the release. “The Met’s investigation remains ongoing, and detectives urge anyone affected by this case, or anyone with information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Prays ‘absolute truth’ will be ‘revealed’
Despite the growing number of allegations and the ongoing investigation, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall star has continued to assert his innocence and maintain his online presence.
In response to the ongoing legal developments, Brand made another public post that he captioned: “Merry Christmas brothers and sisters. Accept all things, even trials as gifts from God. Jesus is real.”
“Most adored and beloved friends, seasons greetings…I’ve learned in my own life that attack can bring about grace,” he started in the Dec. 23 post. “I pray Lord, anyone that I’ve harmed or hurt in my years of mindlessness and sin would be healed, Lord. And I pray, Lord, for the absolute truth of who I am to be abundantly revealed.”
Brand is scheduled to return to court twice in the coming year. His appearance at Westminster Magistrates’ Court is set for Jan. 20, 2026, where he will respond to the new charges. Separately, a full trial on the original five charges is scheduled to begin at Southwark Crown Court on June 16, 2026.
As legal proceedings advance, the investigation remains open, and officials continue to encourage any additional witnesses or individuals with relevant information to come forward.
Please let us know what you think of the charges Russell Brand is facing!
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