British entertainer Russell Brand has said a documentary which included allegations about his behaviour had a “devastating” effect on his life as friends and colleagues turned against him.
Brand, 51 years old, gave testimony at Southwark Crown Court as his defence got underway. He is denying three charges of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
The charges relate to allegations by six women over a period of ten years, between 1999 and 2009.
Under cross examination by defence barrister Ian Winter KC, Brand was asked if he had committed the alleged offences, however he denied all allegations.
“Consent is obviously fundamental. Obviously consent is an important part of anything to do with sex. It is an essential part. It is a necessary part. And obviously far more important in many ways,” he said when asked about the importance of consent.
When asked about the impact of a 2023 documentary which included allegations against him, he said “It was devastating.”
Brand added that he had been unable to get any friends or people close to him to come to court to support his defence. When asked if his friends would “touch you with a bargepole” he said “No”.
He said he couldn’t be with his son during open heart surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital. He and his wife Laura were told it was due to the media reports about him.
“My whole life has been taken over by this,” he said.
Brand went on to answer individual allegations. He admitted to meeting one woman but denied allegations she was raped by him at the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999.
Another complainant alleges he pulled her breasts and forced her into a toilet. Brand said he met her in a bar in London in 2004 but denied pulling her breasts or forcing her into the toilet.
He also denied allegations by a woman he met whilst working at MTV in 2001.
Brand said he had a sexual encounter with a complainant but said they had consensual sex after he had performed a comedy set at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. He was accused of raping her but said “There was no rape. We had consensual sex.”
Brand went on to talk about his marriage to singer Katy Perry in 2010 which gave him “staggering fame.”
Under questioning from the prosecution he denied that the media had been fair with him and agreed that he blamed the allegations on the Dispatches programme on Channel 4.
The trial is ongoing and the allegations are yet to be proven so Brand is presumed innocent.
