LONDON, Oct 21 – A woman who has accused British comedian and actor Russell Brand of rape told a court that she confronted him in a text exchange months after the alleged incident, saying he had treated her “like an animal” and left her feeling deeply degraded.
The testimony was heard on Wednesday during Brand’s ongoing trial in the United Kingdom, where he faces multiple sexual offence charges involving six women. The complainant, whose allegations concern an incident at Brand’s home, said their subsequent exchange left her feeling as though she had been treated as an object rather than a person.
Brand, 51, denies all the charges against him. He previously told police that he had never engaged in sexual activity without consent and suggested that the women bringing allegations against him might have reinterpreted past events.
The trial concerns alleged offences between 1999 and 2009, when Brand was among Britain’s best-known broadcasters and entertainers. He was previously married to American singer Katy Perry. The charges include three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault.
The woman giving evidence on Wednesday is the final complainant in the case. She alleges that Brand raped her anally after she had gone to his home intending to have consensual sex. Her testimony has focused on the alleged assault, her account of what happened afterwards and communications between the two in the months that followed.
Text Exchange Left Complainant Feeling Degraded, Court Hears
A police interview with the woman was played to the court, providing details of a text conversation she said took place approximately six months after the alleged incident.
She told police that she encountered Brand at the Edinburgh Festival, where she was working at the time. Following that encounter, she said, Brand sent her a text message. She questioned why he was contacting her, according to her account of the exchange.
The woman quoted Brand as replying: “Because you are dirty and I want to push you even further.”
She said she responded by telling him that he had already pushed her far enough and had treated her “like an animal.” According to her testimony, Brand immediately replied, “I’m sorry.”
The complainant told police that the exchange had a lasting emotional effect on her, leaving her feeling “really degraded” and “like a piece of meat.” Her account was presented as part of the evidence being considered in the trial.
The court had heard further details of her allegations on Tuesday. She said she had previously attended one of Brand’s performances and subsequently agreed to participate in a sexual encounter involving the comedian and another woman in his dressing room.
Approximately a week later, she went to Brand’s home for what she said was intended to be consensual sex. However, she alleges that the encounter subsequently involved an act to which she had not agreed.
During questioning, Brand’s lawyer, Ian Winter, challenged her account and suggested that she had consented to anal sex. He also argued that her admiration for the comedian had influenced her decisions, describing her as “young, impressionable and obsessed” with him.
The woman, who had described herself as a major fan of Brand, rejected the suggestion that she had agreed to the act in question. She repeatedly told the court that she had not consented and maintained that Brand had ignored her pleas to stop.
Her testimony also addressed Brand’s behaviour immediately after the alleged assault. She said he appeared horrified and that she initially believed he was about to apologise.
Instead, she told the court, Brand instructed her to “clear up the mess.” She alleged that he then watched television, took a telephone call and left the room.
Winter disputed the complainant’s interpretation of the encounter. He argued that Brand’s subsequent behaviour was inconsistent with the allegation that a rape had taken place, maintaining that the sexual activity had been consensual.
The woman’s account of the later text exchange formed another part of the evidence presented against Brand, although the allegations remain contested and have not been established as proven in court.
The proceedings represent a significant legal case for Brand, who became widely known through television, radio, stand-up comedy and film before facing a series of public allegations of sexual misconduct.
The charges relate to alleged incidents involving six women over a decade. Brand has denied wrongdoing and has maintained that he has never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity.
The woman who testified on Wednesday is the last of the complainants scheduled to give evidence in the case. The trial remains ongoing, with the court continuing to examine the allegations and the defence’s challenges to the evidence.
No verdict had been reached as of Wednesday.