LONDON: British comedian and actor Russell Brand appeared in a London court on Friday to face five charges of rape and other sexual offenses and said.
Brand, 49, who became known internationally as the husband of pop star Katy Perry after forging a career in Britain with his risque comedy routines, was charged last month.
He faces two counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent assault.
Arriving for the first court hearing in the case, Brand made his way slowly through a crush of media and onlookers gathered outside the court.
The celebrity, dressed casually in a dark colored open-necked shirt and jeans, spoke only to confirm his details before being granted bail and ordered to appear in court again on May 30.
In a video response on X after he was charged, Brand denied all the alleged offenses and said he was “grateful” for the “opportunity” to defend himself.
“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity,” he said in the video.
The charges relate to offenses alleged to have taken place between 1999 and 2005 involving four women.
Prosecutors charged him after a police investigation into allegations following a broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary in September 2023.
London’s Metropolitan Police have said the investigation remains open and urged “anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information” to contact officers.
Brand is charged with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area on England’s south coast, as well as the abuse and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in the Westminster area of central London.
He has also been charged with indecently assaulting a woman in 2001 and sexually assaulting another woman between 2004 and 2005 — both incidents alleged to have taken place in Westminster.
The court confirmed that he lives part of the time in the United States, but Brand also gave an address in the southern English county of Buckinghamshire.
Born in 1975 to working-class parents in Essex, east of London, Brand began his stand-up career as a teenager.
He burst onto the scene as a provocative, often lewd comedian before transforming into a Hollywood star, then an anti-establishment guru and conspiracy theorist who has millions of fans online.
He has almost seven million subscribers on YouTube, 11.3 million on X and 4.8 million on Instagram.
He presented a show on the BBC’s Radio 2 station between 2006 and 2008 but left after an on-air prank when he left a sexually explicit voicemail for “Fawlty Towers” actor Andrew Sachs about his granddaughter.
He also presented a “Big Brother” spin-off show for several years and wrote columns for the left-wing Guardian newspaper and penned two autobiographies.
Brand was married to US star Perry for 14 months between 2010 and 2012.
He is now married to the author and illustrator Laura Gallacher, with whom he has three children.
UK comedian Russell Brand appears in court on rape charges
https://arab.news/rdwa4
UK comedian Russell Brand appears in court on rape charges
- He faces two counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of indecent assault
- Arriving for the first court hearing in the case, Brand made his way slowly through a crush of media and onlookers gathered outside the court
Bollywood’s Aishwarya Rai Bachchan reflects on identity, women’s strength at RSIFF
JEDDAH: Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai Bachchan turned heads at the fifth Red Sea International Film Festival, entertaining the audience with candid reflections on her personal and professional journey.
At an In Conversation panel event in Jeddah, she began by reflecting on a time before her cinematic career, when she was crowned Miss World in 1994 — a moment that paved the way for her screen debut in Mani Ratnam’s 1997 Tamil film “Iruvar.”
“I was encouraged by members of the media to represent India, and for me, the opportunity went far beyond the idea of a traditional beauty contest,” she said.
During her time on the international stage, she realized how little the world understood about her country.
“Standing as the only Indian contestant, I was asked questions about tigers, snake charmers and education systems that felt so archaic. It made me reflect on our global perception,” she said.
That awareness fueled her commitment to the “Beauty with a Purpose” ethos, and she used her platform to drive awareness, charitable efforts and long-term impact.
“I was just so glad that I got the opportunity to use that title as a larger platform to effect contribution and change,” she told the audience.
Her transition into cinema was guided by curiosity and humility. With no formal training, she embraced every role as a chance to learn, notably through her early collaboration with celebrated director Mani Ratnam: “I approached every character as a student of the craft.”
Emphasizing her preference for roles that explored complex female experiences, she added: “Women, by birth, are strong. They are the embodiment of strength, empowerment, beauty and femininity.”
This strength manifested itself in every role women played as daughters, mothers, friends and leaders, she said, and cinema offered the chance to bring those qualities to life on screen.
Rai Bachchan also discussed the power of audiences in shaping her journey and said: “The love and support I’ve received has been deeply personal. It’s given me strength and conviction throughout my career.”
The actress, who wore a striking black Dolce & Gabbana gown with a plunging V-neck, accessorized with an emerald and diamond pendant, also had some advice for younger generations on navigating social media wisely: “Stay real. Let validation come from within, not from screens,” she said.
