Russell Brand Rape Trial Reaches Closing Arguments After Wife Gives Evidence

Russell Brand is on trial at Southwark Crown Court in London over alleged sexual offences. He denies the allegations. Before a judge changed one charge this week, he faced three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The evidence has included accounts of his sexual behaviour and his treatment of women. His former personal assistant, Helen Berger, told police that he had an "insane sexual appetite" and that bad behaviour was "normalised and dismissed" by those around him, the Guardian reported.

On October 26, the court heard Berger's account of working for Brand. Her statement described women coming to his flat for sex and said he "never seemed happy" afterwards, according to Deadline Hollywood.

On October 27, Mr Justice Bennathan dismissed the indecent assault charge and replaced it with attempted indecent assault, Variety Movies reported. The directed acquittal therefore did not end the case or remove the allegation entirely.

Also on October 27, the court heard Brand's denial that he had forced himself on women. He described himself as "promiscuous" and said his interactions with fans had been "friendly, consensual and warm", according to The Independent.

Brand took the stand on October 28 and denied all the allegations. He told the court that consent was "fundamental", World News CNA reported. He also acknowledged that using his fame to "facilitate" sexual activity had been wrong and that he had misused his position selfishly, according to the Guardian.

On October 29, his wife, Laura Brand, gave evidence describing him as a caring and considerate lover during the period covered by the rape allegations, Deadline Hollywood reported. She said they had dated in 2006 before rekindling their relationship in 2015, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

On October 30, the prosecution delivered its closing argument. It described Brand's defence as "a lot of half-truths" that were "spun into lies", Variety Movies reported.

The trial has reached closing arguments, not a final verdict. Brand denies three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one charge of attempted indecent assault, the charge list reported by Express & Star after the judge's ruling.

A central dispute is whether the encounters were consensual. In its closing argument, the prosecution rejected the suggestion that a 2023 television exposé had caused six women to recast their memories, according to Deadline Hollywood. That is the prosecution's argument, not a finding by the court.

The outstanding question is how the jury will decide the seven charges Brand denies. The latest report from Variety Movies covers the prosecution's closing argument and does not report verdicts on those charges.