Woman’s 2004 allegation heard at Russell Brand trial

A recorded police interview from a woman alleging Russell Brand sexually assaulted her in a Soho bar was played to jurors at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, as his trial continued in London. She is the third complainant whose allegations have been heard in the case; the claims have not been proven, and Brand denies the charges. The woman told police she met Brand at a party at Nordic Bar in 2004 and spoke with him about his television work. She alleged that he suddenly grabbed her breasts, then pulled her by the arm into a toilet. In the interview, she described his expression as a “weird maniacal grin” and said the encounter changed abruptly from an ordinary conversation. She told police Brand forced her to perform oral sex in the toilet. She said she protested and tried to move away, but complied because she feared he would assault her further. Her account was presented to jurors through a prerecorded interview conducted in 2023. The allegations are testimony reported from that interview, not a finding by the court. The woman said that after they left the toilet, Brand acted as though nothing had happened and suggested they exchange phone numbers. She described being...