LONDON — Jurors have begun considering their verdicts in the trial of Russell Brand on charges of rape and sexual assault. After three weeks of argument and evidence, Judge Joel Bennathan told the jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court that they must reach a unanimous decision. “I can only accept a verdict that is the verdict of all 12 of you,” he said. Brand, who is free on bail, has attended court every day, accompanied by his wife, Laura Gallacher. Six women accuse the actor-comedian of sexual misconduct between 1999 and 2009, a decade when Brand went from rising stand-up comedian to major celebrity in the U.K. Prosecutors argued that during that time Brand was “a sexual predator” who attacked the women in a hotel room, the London offices of MTV, the toilet of a London bar, a radio station, a recording studio and his home. Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. Giving evidence, the entertainer acknowledged that he had been obsessed with sex as a younger man, but said his encounters were always consensual. Brand’s lawyers argued that the claimants’ cases were undermined by the fact that they only went to police years after the alleged assaults, and following the broadcast of a 2023 documentary that contained anonymous allegations against Brand. Brand’s lawyer, Ian Winter, said the “well of justice had been corrupted and contaminated” by the documentary. In his closing statement on Monday, Winter said the jury must separate Brand’s treatment of women from the question of whether he committed crimes. “It is not criminal to treat women unkindly before, during or after sex,” he said. “It is not, I am afraid, criminal to be disrespectful or rude or to act like a crazy idiot.” He said Brand “had an immense amount of sex and none of it was unlawful.” “Disgusting, distasteful, immoral, who cares?” the lawyer said. “It’s irrelevant to your consideration.” Known for risqué stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek” and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry. In recent years he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion. Jill Lawless, The Associated Press --- If you or someone you know is struggling with sexual assault or trauma, the following resources are available to support people in crisis:
