Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of rape and sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court.
The 49-year-old comedian and actor appeared in court on Friday, following formal charges issued by the Metropolitan Police last month.
Brand arrived at court without speaking to reporters and remained expressionless as he entered the building.
Inside the courtroom, he stood in the dock flanked by two officers and looked straight ahead as he entered his pleas.
A trial date has been set for 3 June 2026 at the same court.
Brand faces five charges relating to four separate women, including one count each of rape, indecent assault and oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault.
The charges cover a period between 1999 and 2005 and were first made public in September 2023, after several women came forward with allegations.
Brand has consistently denied all claims, saying any encounters were consensual. In a video posted to social media, he said: “I never was a rapist.”
He added: “I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court.”
He previously described himself as having been a “fool” during his younger years, admitting to past drug and sex addiction, but denied any criminal wrongdoing.
Brand made an initial court appearance earlier this month at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where he confirmed his identity and acknowledged his bail conditions.
One of the charges relates to an alleged rape in a hotel room during the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999.
Another woman alleges Brand indecently assaulted her in 2001 at a television station, claiming he grabbed her forearm and attempted to drag her into a toilet.
A third complainant, a TV worker Brand met in Soho, accuses him of grabbing her breasts before allegedly forcing her into a toilet and orally raping her.
The fourth alleged victim, a radio station employee, claims Brand assaulted her while he was working on Channel 4’s Big Brother’s Big Mouth between 2004 and 2005.
The investigation into Brand followed a joint exposé by The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches in September last year.
At the time, Brand said he welcomed the chance to prove his innocence.
