Russell Brand, the YouTuber, comedian and actor, appeared in a London courthouse on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to two charges of sexual assault, including one of rape.
Mr. Brand, 50, last year pleaded not guilty to five other charges of sexual assault in Britain, including one of rape and another of oral rape.
Tuesday’s hearing, at Southwark Crown Court, focused on the newer charges, which British prosecutors first announced in December. During the hearing, Mr. Brand, wearing a leopard-print shirt opened to the waist and standing in a plexiglass box, confirmed his name. He then listened to a clerk read out brief details of the two additional charges, including that one involved anal rape. Both incidents are said to have occurred in 2009.
Mr. Brand, who last year posted a video to his social media channels in which he denied ever engaging “in nonconsensual activity,” said “not guilty” to each charge.
Mr. Brand is already scheduled to face a four-to-five-week trial on the original five charges starting June 3. During Tuesday’s hearing, Judge Joel Bennathan briefly discussed with the prosecution and defense lawyers whether to add the new charges to that hearing. The parties all agreed to decide that at a later date.
Under British law, news outlets are not allowed to identify anyone who makes sexual assault allegations unless they waive their right to anonymity. Strict rules also prevent the reporting of any information about a case that could prejudice a jury at trial.
Mr. Brand found fame in Britain in the early 2000s as a comedian and TV presenter. He achieved more global renown after starring in hit movies like “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” (2008) and “Get Him to the Greek” (2010).
These days, he is a politically charged YouTuber and social media commentator with over 10.3 million followers on X and 6.7 million subscribers to his YouTube channel.
Alex Marshall is a Times reporter covering European culture. He is based in London.
The post Russell Brand Pleads Not Guilty to Further Rape and Sexual Assault Charges appeared first on New York Times.
