Russell Brand charged with additional rape, sex assault offenses

British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been charged with additional counts of rape and sexual assault after two more women came forward with allegations, London’s Metropolitan Police announced Tuesday.

The new charges, authorized by the Crown Prosecution Service, are in addition to five earlier counts involving four women that Brand pleaded not guilty to in May. The alleged offenses date back more than two decades, from 1999 to 2005.

Brand, 50, is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Jan. 20, 2026, to answer the new charges, the BBC reports. His trial on the original charges is set to begin at Southwark Crown Court on June 16, 2026.

The allegations first emerged publicly in September 2023 following a joint investigation by Channel 4’s “Dispatches,” The Sunday Times and The Times, which featured accounts from multiple women describing incidents of sexual assault, rape and emotional abuse.

Following the initial charges in April 2025, Brand denied the accusations in a video posted on social media, describing himself as a former “fool,” “drug addict” and “sex addict” who had since embraced Christianity. He stated, “What I never was, was a rapist,” and said he had never engaged in non-consensual activity.

Brand, known for his work as a stand-up comedian, television personality and commentator, has also documented his conversion to Christianity, first reported by The Christian Post, which culminated in a 2024 baptism and continued with the comedian baptizing others.

The Metropolitan Police said the women involved in the reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities encouraged anyone with information to come forward.