Five most shocking claims in the Russell Brand trial so far

The 51-year-old actor and comedian is accused of seven offences, including rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault. He denies all the charges.

The alleged offences are reported to have occurred at a variety of venues including hotel rooms, a toilet cubicle, and at his home address.

The complainants met Brand either through their employment or through social events, according to the prosecution who opened the trial on October 14.

Brand, who is yet to give evidence in court, has been seen arriving at court with his wife, Laura Gallacher.

Russell Brand with his wife Laura Gallacher arriving at Southwark Crown Court

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The victims, who are each being cross-examined by Brand’s defence team, have told the court how he supposedly made advances within just minutes of meeting them.

Following the fifth day of the trial, we look at the five most shocking claims to have emerged so far from Brand’s trial.

What have we heard and seen from the Russell Brand trial?

Russell Brand and his wife Laura leave court during his trial

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Victim ‘struggled to breathe in monster-like’ attack

One of the women told the court that Brand turned into a “monster” when he raped her in a Bournemouth hotel room during the Labour Party conference in 1999.

The court watched as the woman broke down in the witness box, saying she “couldn’t fight back”.

“He just changed suddenly from this… camp, friendly and effeminate to monster-like”, she said.

“He was big, I felt threatened and he’s half-naked… I didn’t think at that point his intentions were good.”

Court artist sketch of Russell Brand in court (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

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She continued: “He was just dark and arrogant and performing – he was scary, he was demanding.”

The woman said she told Brand “no” and said she struggled to breathe when Brand was on top of her.

Brand’s defence team accused the woman of not telling the complete truth about her encounter with Brand and suggested that she would have left the hotel room if she was in danger of being raped.

She asked: “Where am I supposed to go? Run into the night and him chase after me?

“Of course I wanted to distance myself but I had nowhere to run.”

Brand: ‘It’s just fun’ during alleged rape

The same woman claimed that Brand had told her “it’s just fun” as he allegedly raped her in a hotel room at the Labour Party conference.

A court heard that the comedian stripped off his clothes and pranced around the room “like Basil Fawlty” before pushing her onto the bed and lying on top of her.

A picture of Russell Brand taken by the woman, which was shown to the jury in his trial at Southwark Crown Court (Metropolitan Police/PA)

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In her recorded interview, which was played to the court on the second day of the trial, the woman said Brand told her “it’s normal” as the attack unfolded.

“He was just saying ‘we’re having fun, it’s fine, it’s all good’,” she recalled. “Don’t worry about it, it’s just fun, it’s normal.”

She added: “It was almost like trying to convince me it’s all OK. I’d have to learn to enjoy it.”

The woman said that the alleged attack made her feel “dirty” and as if it was her fault.

The court also heard that the woman had nightmares about the possibility of being pregnant following the attack.

It was also alleged that Brand had asked the woman to take a photo of him topless during the attack.

Brand allegedly dragged woman into male toilet

Brand’s second accuser told the court on the third day of the trial that the comedian had dragged her into a male toilet.

She claimed that Brand “grabbed” her by the arm, saying ‘come on, come in with me’.

The court heard that Brand had “a wild look in his eyes” as he attempted to pull the woman into the toilet.

The exchange is understood to have lasted 20 seconds.

Court artist sketch of Russell Brand and barrister Riel Carney-Jones KC on the third day of trial

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When asked how she felt after the alleged attack, she said she felt “bewildered” and “confused.”

Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, suggested that the woman had only decided to report Brand after seeing the 2023 documentary about his alleged sexual misconduct.

“I don’t think it’s quite as straightforward as that,” she replied.

“It would have been my word against his, I had a job to consider, I came away relatively unscathed, and he didn’t rape me.

“I managed to get myself out of the situation and I wanted a quiet life.”

Brand allegedly attacked radio worker in ‘frenzied’ assault

The fourth complainant alleged that she was sexually assaulted while working at Choice FM.

She said a woman and three other men were present when Brand roughly kissed her and pressed his body against her.

Describing the allegation, she told the court: “Going down my neck, his hands are moving so much that the reason I used the word frenzied was because it was just violent.

“It was hard and he just wasn’t stopping.”

She added: “It was hard, I would say it was sloppy, he kissed my mouth, he just was kissing me and it was hard, it was very hard.”

Brand leaves court on Monday evening

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The bystanders allegedly did nothing when the incident unfolded, the court heard.

Ian Winter asked how the woman could be sure that the man involved in the assault was Brand.

He also pressed her on why she never raised it with her employer.

The woman said there was “banter” in her workplace about women, adding: “Women were rated by colleagues on what we were wearing, how we looked.”

She added that she never went to the police as she feared no one would believe her and that she might lose her job.

Brand ‘turned on Quantum Leap’ straight after ‘traumatic rape’

The final alleged victim to give evidence told the court on Tuesday she had a threesome with Brand backstage at the Hammersmith Apollo, an experience which left her feeling “awful” and “disgusting”.

She said that she decided to have sex with Brand again at a later date, but that during that occasion it felt “very awkward” and she “wanted it to be over.”

Court artist sketch of Russell Brand in court (Elizabeth Cook/PA)

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Russell Brand arrived at court with his wife, Laura

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She alleged that during this encounter, Brand removed the condom and anally raped her without warning, telling the court: “I don’t know how long it took for me between it going on and me asking him to stop, I don’t think it was very long.”

She said that afterwards, Brand looked “horrified” and instructed her to “clear up the mess you have made”.

She added: “He put the TV on, I remember it was something like Quantum Leap.”