Woman tells jury Brand raped her in 1999 hotel room

A woman told a jury that Russell Brand raped her in a Bournemouth hotel room in 1999, describing the alleged assault in a recorded police interview played at his trial on October 15. Brand denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty; the allegation remains for the court to determine. The complainant, whose identity has not been made public in the reports, said she met Brand at a fringe cabaret event during the Labour Party conference. She recalled speaking with him before inviting him to her hotel room to continue their conversation. In the recorded interview, made in 2023, she said she believed he was gay and had not expected him to make sexual advances. She told police that after she returned from the bathroom, Brand was wearing only briefs and asked her to take photographs of him. Pictures she had taken were shown in court. She said she felt shocked and frightened, and alleged that he pushed her onto the bed, removed her trousers and raped her. She said she told him no and could not breathe while he was on top of her. The woman also alleged Brand spoke to her during the encounter, saying it was fun and normal and telling her not to worry.