Russell Brand declares his innocence amid sexual…

Comedian Russell Brand is maintaining his innocence after he was charged with rape, indecent assault and sexual assault by the British government. 

Brand shared his thoughts on the charges filed against him by the Crown Prosecution Service on Friday in a video posted on X later that same day. He began the video by asserting, “We’re very fortunate, in a way, to live at a time when there’s so little trust in the British government.”

Brand also expressed gratitude that “this is happening at a time when we know that the law has become a kind of weapon to be used against people, institutions and sometimes entire nations that will not accept and tolerate levels of corruption that are unprecedented.”

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After sharing his distaste for the U.K. government under the leadership of Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Labour Party), Brand addressed the allegations against him while acknowledging that he had behaved poorly before getting married and having children, but denied ever having non-consensual sex.  

“I was a fool, man,” he recalled. “I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was was a rapist.”

Brand insisted that he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity,” adding: “I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.” He also thanked his fans and supporters for standing by him, and concluded the video by noting that he would have “the opportunity to defend these charges in court.”

“I’m incredibly grateful for that,” he said.

Brand, well-known for his career as a comedian and actor, has since transitioned into podcasting. He’s also documented his conversion to Christianity, first reported by The Christian Post, which culminated in a baptism last year and continued with the comedian baptizing others. 

The Crown Prosecution Service detailed the charges against Brand in a statement released last Friday, noting that the charges stem from claims involving four women and pertain to incidents that allegedly occurred between 1999 and 2005. Brand faces two counts of rape, indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault. He is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for a first hearing on May 2. 

The charges filed against Brand on Friday aren’t the first time the comedian has faced allegations of sexual misconduct.

In 2023, an investigation carried out by The Times of London and Channel 4 found that five women had accused Brand of perpetrating sexual assault and “emotional abuse” against them in incidents that took place between 2006 and 2013. One allegation maintained that Brand committed a rape at his Los Angeles home in 2012. The investigation led to YouTube suspending Brand’s account. 

Responding to the previous allegations by steadfastly denying them, Brand suggested that the claims against him amounted to “coordinated media attacks” as part of “a serious and concerted agenda to control these kind of spaces and these kind of voices.” As he has in the most recent charges against him, Brand stressed that all sexual activity he has ever engaged in has been consensual.