British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been hit with two new criminal charges, one for rape and another for sexual assault, according to a statement from London's Metropolitan Police. This development significantly expands the legal troubles for the media personality turned online influencer.
Details of the New Allegations
The new charges were issued on Tuesday, December 23, 2025. Police confirmed that these fresh allegations are connected to two further women, who are separate from the four women involved in the initial charges brought against Brand in April of the same year.
This means the total number of charges now relates to six different women. Brand, who is 50 years old and the former husband of American pop star Katy Perry, has been summoned to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on January 20, 2026 to face these two new counts.
Ongoing Legal Battle and Brand's Response
These new charges come on top of five existing ones to which Brand has already pleaded not guilty. Those original charges, from May 2025, include one count of rape, one of oral rape, two of sexual assault, and one of indecent assault. The alleged incidents for those charges span from 1999 to 2005.
A trial for these five original charges is scheduled to begin at Southwark Crown Court on June 16, 2026. Following the announcement of the new charges, Brand took to his social media platform X to address his followers.
In his post, he stated he felt "blessed" to have the chance "to atone for the many things over the years I did wrong" and to ensure people "understand the truth of my situation." He added, "I pray Lord that anyone that I’ve harmed or hurt in my years of mindlessness in sin would be healed."
Background of the Police Investigation
The prosecution's case stems from a police investigation triggered by allegations aired in a documentary by Channel 4. The specific accusations include the rape of a woman in a Bournemouth hotel room in 1999 and the oral rape and sexual assault of another woman in central London in 2004.
After the first set of charges were filed, Brand had previously denied any wrongdoing in a video statement, asserting, "I never was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity."
Detective Chief Inspector Tariq Farooqi emphasized that the women who have come forward "continue to receive support from specially trained officers." He also confirmed that the police investigation remains active and encouraged anyone with relevant information to contact authorities.
Russell Brand, born in 1975 in Essex, rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and MTV presenter. He later hosted a BBC Radio 2 show until 2008, when he resigned following a controversy involving an explicit prank call. Once known as a left-leaning Hollywood figure, he has reinvented himself in recent years as a conservative commentator with a massive online following and recently announced he had become a Christian.
