Russell Brand Hit With New Rape Charge

Former comedian and current conservative Christian podcaster Russell Brand was hit with two new charges on December 23, according to the BBC. The police charged him with one instance of rape and one instance of sexual assault, against two separate women. Both alleged incidents occurred in 2009. He will appear at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on January 20, 2026, owing to the charges.

Just six months after that court appearance, Brand will stand trial in the U.K. for the five other charges, which he pleaded not guilty to on May 30. They are two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault, against four separate women. The alleged incidents took place between 1999 and 2005, per the BBC. His trial for those five counts is set to begin on June 16, 2026.

“The women who have made reports, including those connected to the two new charges, continue to receive support from specially trained officers,” the Metropolitan Police said in a December 23 statement, per Deadline. “The Met’s investigation remains ongoing, and detectives urge anyone affected by this case, or anyone with information, to come forward and speak with police.” Brand has yet to publicly respond to his newest allegations.

The legal investigations into Brand’s behavior began in 2023, following a joint Times, Sunday Times, and Channel 4 investigation into Brand’s alleged history of sexual assault. They found four women who claimed he sexually assaulted them between 2006 and 2013, including one who was 16 at the time of the alleged incident. “I feel like I’m being attacked,” Brand said in response to the allegations at the time, “and plainly they are working very closely together.” The police have not yet said if the new allegations are related to the ones that were reported in 2023. Because this is happening in the U.K. courts, at least nobody has to worry that he’ll be pardoned by Donald Trump.