Jury hears account from woman who alleges Russell Brand raped her at Soho party
Constantvpn.com – A woman has told a jury that she shut her eyes and tried to mentally escape while she says Russell Brand raped her in a London bar in 2004.
The account was heard in a recorded police interview made in 2023 and shown during Brand’s criminal trial. The woman said she had been at a birthday gathering in Soho when she spoke with Brand about his role presenting Channel 4 programme Big Brother’s Big Mouth.
Brand, 51, denies all seven allegations against him and has entered not guilty pleas. The case includes three rape counts, three sexual-assault charges and one allegation of indecent assault. Six women are complainants in allegations said to cover the period from 1999 to 2009.
Account of alleged assault
The woman, who was in her twenties at the time, described what she said began during an ordinary conversation. She told police Brand suddenly grabbed her breasts, recalling his expression as unsettling.
“He literally just grabbed my boobs out of nowhere in the middle of the conversation, just in the middle of a conversation and I just remember this weird maniacal grin, looming in front of me as he just grabbed my boobs.”
She said that, after this alleged assault, Brand took her towards the toilets. Her evidence was that he held her arm firmly, pulled her into the flooded area and then allegedly orally raped her.
The complainant said the incident happened quickly and left her stunned. She described feeling disbelief and shock, saying she had tried to make the experience end so that she could leave.
“Part of me was saying just get it over with so you can get out of here.”
She told officers that she closed her eyes and tried not to be present during the alleged attack. The woman said she did not consent and remembered telling him she did not want it to happen.
“I just closed my eyes and tried not to be there. I just remember it felt like a force. I definitely said I don’t want to do this.”
Evidence before the court
The woman is the third complainant whose evidence the jury has heard, and the second to allege rape. Her recorded interview forms part of the prosecution case in proceedings expected to last six weeks.
She said the contrast between the conversation and what she alleges followed was particularly striking. Before the alleged incident, she had been discussing Brand’s television work. She recalled seeing him move towards her and grab both of her breasts, describing his grin as clown-like and his eyes as having a strange look.
In her account, the toilets were immediately behind where he had been standing. She said there was little time to react because he grabbed and pulled her in that direction.
The woman also described what she says happened afterwards. She told police that Brand spoke as though the encounter had been unremarkable and suggested they exchange phone numbers.
“Oh I guess we should swap numbers now.”
She said that remark made the alleged events feel even more difficult to process because, in her view, it treated the situation as normal despite what she says had occurred.
Brand’s position
Brand denies each charge. His position is that any sexual contact, if it occurred, would have been consensual. The allegations have not been proven, and it is for the jury to assess the evidence presented during the trial.
Criminal trials involving historic allegations can include detailed testimony given years after the events in question. Recorded interviews may be played to juries so they can hear a complainant’s own account, alongside the other evidence and legal submissions in the case.
The court will continue to hear evidence from the prosecution and the defence before jurors are asked to reach verdicts on the individual charges.
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