British actor and comedian Russell Brand has been formally charged with rape and several counts of sexual assault, according to a statement released by police on Friday.
The charges stem from a series of allegations involving four women and span a period between 1999 and 2005.
Brand, 50, once a prominent figure in British entertainment and the former husband of U.S. pop star Katy Perry, has in recent years rebranded himself as an internet-based social commentator. He currently resides in Oxfordshire, in southern England.
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Police confirmed that he faces one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police,” the statement said.
The developments follow a 2023 joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches programme, which revealed allegations from four women accusing Brand of sexual misconduct, including rape, between 2006 and 2013.
Brand has previously denied any wrongdoing, stating that he had never engaged in non-consensual sex.
