Woman’s 2004 assault allegation heard in Brand trial

Jurors at Southwark Crown Court heard a woman’s recorded account of an alleged 2004 sexual assault by Russell Brand, as his trial continued in London on Monday and Tuesday. The woman said Brand grabbed her breasts at a Soho bar, pulled her into a toilet and forced her to perform oral sex. The allegations have not been proven, and Brand denies all charges. The 2023 police interview was played in court on Monday. The woman, who worked for MTV at the time, said she had been speaking with Brand at a party at Nordic Bar when he grabbed her breasts. She said he then took hold of her arm and pulled her toward the toilets. In her account, she protested and tried to move away, but complied because she feared he would assault her further. The woman said Brand acted as though nothing had happened after they left the toilet and suggested they exchange phone numbers. She described feeling shocked and disoriented. She also alleged that she later found herself in a car with Brand, where he exposed himself and urged her to perform another sexual act. She said she refused, and he stopped. She told police she spoke to an MTV producer friend a few days after the incident, describing Brand as...