Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of today’s court hearing in the case against comedian and TV presenter Russell Brand.
The 50-year-old is due to appear at Southwark Crown Court in London to face one charge of rape and one of sexual assault, both alleged to have taken place in London in 2009.
Brand appeared at a previous magistrates’ court hearing via video link in January after the charges were announced in December last year, and is now due to enter his plea today.
He has previously denied two other counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault in relation to alleged offences involving four women between 1999 and 2005.
These original charges were announced in April 2025. After pleading not guilty to these, Brand is set to go on trial later this year.
The comedian has consistently denied having non-consensual sex since allegations against him were first made public in 2023, and previously told his followers on X that he welcomed the opportunity to defend the original charges in court.
Today, we are expecting to hear his plea in relation to the newer charges but may not be able to publish further details ahead of a trial.
Stay with us for live updates from the court.
