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British police said Tuesday that comedian and actor Russell Brand faces a new charge of rape and another of sexual assault.
The new charges confirmed by the Crown Prosecution Service involved two women and follow five charges laid in April against four other women: two counts of rape, one of indecent assault and two of sexual assault, dating back more than two decades.
Brand, 50, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on January 20, 2026, facing the new charges. The trial on the previous charges is due to begin at Southwark Crown Court on June 16, 2026.
Reuters attempted to contact Brand for comment.
In May, Brand pleaded not guilty to five original charges. Once a famous TV presenter in Britain and the ex-husband of American pop singer Katy Perry, he denied having sex without consent.
In response to the initial allegations in April Brand said on X that although he was a “fool” in his youth, “what I never was was a rapist. I have never engaged in non-consensual activity.”
In recent years, the actor has moved into the world of social commentary. hosting a show on a controversial video platform Rumble, which bills itself as “immune to cancel culture.”
The initial investigation began in September 2023 after the allegations were reported by Channel 4. Departures show and the Sunday Times.
