NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Russell Brand is facing new charges of rape and sexual assault overseas.
The U.K.’s Crown Prosecution Service charged the comedian with one count of rape and one count of sexual assault of two women, according to police in a statement released on Dec. 23. The alleged offenses occurred in 2009.
Brand is already facing five counts of rape and sexual assault, which he was charged with in April. The charges include one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault.
The alleged incidents took place between 1999 and 2005, and were reported by four different women.
RUSSELL BRAND CHARGED WITH RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT
Brand’s representative did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
On Dec. 23, Brand took to Instagram and uploaded a video, wishing his followers a Merry Christmas. He did not mention the new charges brought against him, but mentioned that this is “a time of great darkness” and that he’s grateful to participate in “change and transformation.”
APP USERS CLICK HERE
“I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to atone for the many things over the years that I did wrong and the opportunity to ensure that people understand the truth of my situation and scenario,” Brand said in the video.
He also offered prayers for anyone he’s “harmed or hurt” in his years of “mindlessness and sin would be healed.”
Hours after the news broke of his charges in April, Brand took to social media to firmly deny any wrongdoing.
In a video posted to X, Brand thanked his fans for messages of support, then criticized the British government and legal system before addressing the charges directly.
“I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was a rapist.”
He explained that he “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 nonconsensual activity, I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
DANNY MASTERSON DEMANDS NEW HEARING IN RAPE CONVICTION, CLAIMS WITHHELD EVIDENCE AND BIASED LAPD INVESTIGATION
Brand added, “Of course, I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
He wrapped up his video by assuring his followers that he’d continue to address the allegations against him.
As police explained in a press release, detectives began investigating Brand after allegations were made public by U.K. media outlets Channel 4 and The Sunday Times in September 2023.
LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
The outlets launched a joint investigation into the allegations, resulting in a lengthy article on the Times’ website, as well as an episode of Channel 4’s documentary series, “Dispatches,” called “Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.” Both contained a number of anonymous complaints, with women accusing Brand of physical and emotional abuse and bullying, as well as some instances of sexual assault.
Brand denied the claims shortly after they were made public, saying in a video statement shared on social media that his relationships were “always consensual.”
The actor revealed that he received a few inquiries from media outlets with regard to “a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.”
“Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,” he said.
According to Brand, the encounters occurred during a “time of promiscuity” but were “always consensual.” He also noted that he “was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well.”
“To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question: Is there another agenda at play?” he asked.
Brand is expected to appear next in court on Jan. 20, in relation to the two new charges brought against him. A trial has also been scheduled for June next year and is expected to last four to five weeks.
Fox News Digital’s Emily Trainham and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Read the full article here
