Russell Brand denies seven charges while acknowledging misuse of fame

Russell Brand denied all seven criminal charges at Southwark Crown Court on October 28, while acknowledging that he had used his fame to facilitate sexual access and that doing so was wrong. The comedian and actor testified for more than four hours as the jury heard his response to allegations involving six women between 1999 and 2009. Brand pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. He denied forcing anyone into sexual activity and described consent as fundamental. The charges remain for the jury to decide; no verdict had been reached. In testimony, Brand said he had been persuasive, seductive and flirtatious with women, and described his past conduct as beyond reckless philandering and idiocy. He told jurors that, as his fame grew, he had been comfortable using it to gain sexual access, adding that this was wrong. He also acknowledged being obsessed with sex when younger, but denied setting a goal of sleeping with 5,000 women. Prosecutor Riel KarmyJones challenged Brand about differences between his testimony and accounts he had previously given police. Brand said his recollection had become more...