UK police charge comic actor Russell Brand with rape

British police have charged comedian Russell Brand with rape and sexual assault after an investigation that followed complaints from several women.

London's Metropolitan Police on Friday said they have charged actor-comedian Russell Brand with rape and multiple counts of assault between 1999 and 2005, a police statement on Friday said.

The 50-year-old former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry repositioned himself in recent years as a social media commentator often espousing conspiracy theories.

What are the allegations against Brand?

In 2023, UK media outlets Channel 4 and the Sunday Times published the accounts of four women who said they had been sexually assaulted or raped by Brand. The alleged victims have not been identified.

Brand was charged Friday with the rape of a woman in 1999 in the Bournemouth area, on England's south coast. He also is accused of the oral rape and sexual assault of a woman in 2004 in central London.

In addition, Brand was charged with indecent assault against a woman in 2001 and the sexual assault of another woman between 2004 and 2005.

What have police and prosecutors said?

"We have today authorized the Metropolitan Police to charge Russell Brand with a number of sexual offences," said prosecutor Jaswant Narwal.

"We carefully reviewed the evidence after a police investigation into allegations made following the broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary in September 2023," Narwal said. "We have concluded that Russell Brand should be charged with offences including rape, sexual assault and indecent assault."

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said the probe was ongoing.

He urged "anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police."

Who is Russell Brand?

The comedian, author and "Get Him To The Greek" actor,  who was once one the UK's foremost television celebrities, has denied the charges. He claims his relationships were "always consensual."

Brand on Friday said he had been an addict in the past "but what I never was was a rapist."

"I was a fool ... I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was was a rapist," he said in a video posted on X. "I've never engaged in non consensual activity."

Known for his risque and uncurbed standup routines, Brand hosted shows on radio and television, and wrote memoirs of his battles with drugs and alcohol.

He was married to pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012 and appeared in several Hollywood movies.

Brand, who recently said he had moved to the United States, has largely disappeared from mainstream media in recent years. However, but has built up a large online following, posting videos mixing wellness and conspiracy theories. 

Edited by Sean Sinico