A woman testified in London that Russell Brand assaulted her at a radio station in the mid-2000s. Brand denies seven charges of sexual offenses spanning a decade.
A woman testifying at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday said that comedian Russell Brand sexually assaulted her against a wall at a London radio station in the mid-2000s. BBC News reported that the complainant is the fourth woman to testify in the criminal trial against Brand, who is 51 years old. The trial is scheduled to take six weeks, according to Variety.
Testimony describes radio studio incident
The witness, who is now in her 50s, delivered her evidence from behind a blue screen to maintain the lifelong anonymity granted to alleged sexual assault victims in Britain. The outlets gave differing accounts of where the encounter happened. BBC News reported that the alleged assault took place at the Choice FM radio studios in central London, while Variety reported it happened at the Capital Radio offices. Variety reported that the woman dated the event to the summer of 2004 or 2005, whereas BBC News reported she placed it in the mid-2000s.
The woman told the court she was having an ordinary workday when she walked out of a small room and encountered Brand. She testified that Brand greeted her before grabbing her face and pushing his body against hers, driving her backward until she was pinned against a wall. She described the kisses as sloppy and rough as they moved down her neck, calling the attack violent and frenzied because Brand refused to stop.
She recounted that Brand placed his hands across her body during the incident, telling the jury, “He touched my bum, my breasts, his body was pressed up against me.” Brand was accompanied by several onlookers, identified in court as one woman and three men, who didn’t intervene or speak during the workday encounter. The woman said she finally broke free by pushing Brand away and swearing at him. Brand fell backward and laughed, which prompted one of the men with him to laugh too. She then went outside to smoke a cigarette, feeling shaken and stunned. She said she had never met Brand previously but recognized him from his role on the Channel 4 television series Big Brother’s Big Mouth.
Questions over the delay in reporting
Brand’s defense barrister, Ian Winter KC, questioned the woman about why she couldn’t state the exact year of the encounter. She answered that more than 20 years had passed since it took place. When Winter asked how she could be sure Brand was the man who assaulted her, she responded tearfully, “The person who assaulted me was Russell Brand. I can’t forge that.” She added that she had nothing to gain from testifying and hadn’t wanted to find herself in this position.
The defense also challenged the woman on why she hadn’t contacted police or shared what happened with anyone at the time, and why witnesses hadn’t raised concerns. The woman explained that the workplace culture at the time was entirely different from the modern environment. She said employees didn’t routinely report such occurrences back then. She told the jury that she feared she could lose her job while needing to pay her mortgage, and doubted anyone would believe her word. As a result, she said she buried the memory for years.
The woman told the court that she finally came forward with her allegation in 2023. She said she decided to contact authorities after watching a few minutes of a Channel 4 television documentary detailing allegations regarding Brand and his past conduct.
Seven charges span a decade
Brand faces seven charges involving six female accusers over a 10-year span from 1999 to 2009. The charges consist of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault.
Brand has pleaded not guilty to all counts and denies the allegations. He has asserted that if any sexual contact took place, it was consensual. The proceedings are continuing in London.
