Jury selection begins in Russell Brand sex assault trial

The British actor and former husband to Katy Perry faces seven charges involving six women, with accusations spanning a decade before he left mainstream broadcasting to build an online following.MANCHESTER, England (CN) — British comedian and actor Russell Brand’s trial on seven rape and sexual assault charges began Monday with jury selection at Southwark Crown Court in London.Brand, 51, pleaded not guilty in February to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault, charges spanning between 1999 and 2009.He remains out on bail and has consistently denied engaging in sexual activity without consent.Brand arrived at court flanked by security and his wife. He wore a gray suit over an open-collared white shirt, with a neckerchief, brown boots and sunglasses.Inside the court, Judge Joel Bennathan questioned 50 prospective jurors about whether they had seen a 2023 television documentary or read a newspaper investigation concerning accusations of sexual misconduct against Brand.Those who had seen the coverage were excluded from serving.The judge warned the prospective jurors against researching the case independently. “You absolutely must not carry out any research at all about this defendant Russell Brand,” he told those initially selected.The jury is due to be formally sworn in Tuesday, with prosecutors expected to open their case later in the week.The trial is expected to last several weeks.Prosecutors have previously told the court that the charges include the rape of a woman in a hotel room during a Labour Party conference, grabbing a television worker’s breasts and forcing her into a sex act in a toilet, and kissing and groping a radio station worker.The women have lifelong anonymity under U.K. law and will not be identified.The case follows a 2023 investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s “Dispatches” program, which brought accusations of sexual misconduct against Brand into public view.Brand denied wrongdoing.The Crown Prosecution Service — the public body responsible for prosecuting criminal cases in England and Wales — first charged Brand in April 2025 with five offenses involving four women.Prosecutors brought two additional charges in January, concerning two further women and reported incidents in 2009. The additions led the court to postpone the trial, originally scheduled for June, until October.Brand, former husband of U.S. singer Katy Perry, rose to prominence in Britain during the 2000s as a stand-up comedian and television and radio presenter.He hosted spin-off shows from the reality series “Big Brother” and presented programs on BBC radio before finding success in Hollywood films, including the comedies “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.”In recent years, Brand has moved away from mainstream broadcasting and built an online following through content about politics, religion and free speech. He now lives in Florida.Courthouse News reporter James Francis Whitehead is based in England.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads