Russell Brand Faces Further Sex Offence Charges in Court

Actor and comedian Russell Brand has been granted bail after being accused of two further sex offences, including rape. The 50-year-old appeared via video link from the US for the six-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday afternoon. Wearing a partially unbuttoned denim shirt, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. Brand previously denied two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault in relation to alleged offences between 1999 and 2005, involving four women. The two latest offences are one for rape and one for sexual assault, with are both alleged to have taken place in London in 2009, according to court documents. Brand will appear at Southwark Crown Court on 17 February. In relation to the five original charges, a trial is scheduled to begin at Southwark Crown Court later this year. Detectives began investigating allegations into Brand which came to light following reporting from the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's Dispatches in September 2023. Brand, who was born in Essex, rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and became a household name as host of TV shows such as Big Brother's Big Mouth, and with his own radio programmes on stations including BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music. He went on to establish a Hollywood career, starring in films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek.