London, May 30 (EFE).- British actor-comedian Russell Brand pleaded not guilty on Friday to five charges of sexual assault and rape involving four women in the United Kingdom.
In a preliminary hearing of his trial at Southwark Crown Court in central London, Brand responded “not guilty” to each of the charges against him for crimes allegedly committed between 1999 and 2005.
At the hearing, the judge ordered the trial to begin on June 3, 2026 and to continue for eight weeks, until July 25.
The 49-year-old singer, flanked by two officers, stood up to answer to each charge brought against him.
On Apr. 4, the comedian was charged with rape, indecent assault, oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault, and released on bail on May 2.
In 1999, the actor allegedly raped a woman in the Bournemouth area of southern England, and in 2001, he sexually assaulted another woman in the Westminster district of London.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004 as well as sexually assaulting another woman between 2004 and 2005, both in Westminster.
Police began the investigation in September 2023 after a t exposé by The Sunday Times newspaper and Channel 4’s Dispatches program led several women to come forward with allegations spanning over two decades.
Brand, who rose to fame in the early 2000s through his stand-up comedy, radio shows on the BBC, and controversial public persona, has previously denied all allegations.
He maintains that his past sexual relationships were “always consensual.”
When the allegations first surfaced, Brand released a video on social media denying any criminal behavior and accused the media of corruption and censorship. EFE
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