LONDON — Comedian Russell Brand arrived at a London court on Monday for the start of his trial for rape and sexual assault.
Brand was flanked by security officers and accompanied by his wife, Laura Gallacher, as he arrived at Southwark Crown Court for the first day of a trial expected to last 10 to 12 weeks.
Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The offenses concern six women and allegedly took place between 1999 and 2009.
He remained free on bail ahead of his trial.
Prosecutors said in previous hearings that Brand was accused of raping a woman in a hotel room at a Labor Party conference, grabbing a television worker’s breasts and forcing her to perform a sex act in the toilet, and kissing and groping a radio station worker.
Known for his risky stand-up shows and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand was a major star in the early 2000s, with jobs as a TV host, his own BBC radio show and roles in films like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.”
In recent years, he left mainstream media, moved to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion.
Gn headline
