Russell Brand has been formally charged with five counts of rape and sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police.
Authorities announced the charges on Friday, which include one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. The alleged incidents occurred between 1999 and 2005 and involve four different women.
Brand, who has denied the allegations, previously called them “very, very hurtful.” He is set to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on May 2 to address the charges.
Police launched their investigation into Brand following reports published by UK media outlets Channel 4 and The Sunday Times in September 2023. Their joint investigation resulted in a detailed article on The Times website and an episode of Channel 4’s documentary series Dispatches titled Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.
The reports included multiple anonymous accusations, with women alleging physical and emotional abuse, bullying, and instances of sexual assault.
Brand denied the claims in a video statement on social media, insisting that his relationships had “always been consensual.” He described the allegations as “astonishing, rather baroque attacks” and questioned whether there was “another agenda at play.”
He acknowledged that the encounters happened during a “time of promiscuity” but emphasized that he had been “transparent” about his past behavior.
Brand has been married to Laura Gallacher since 2017, and the couple shares three children. He was previously married to singer Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012.
The comedian gained widespread recognition with his role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), followed by starring roles in Get Him to the Greek and Arthur. However, in recent years, he has distanced himself from Hollywood.