Russell Brand Is Charged With Rape and Sexual Assault in U.K.

Prosecutors in Britain have charged Russell Brand, the comedian and actor, with multiple counts of sexual assault, including two counts of rape.

The country’s Crown Prosecution Service announced the charges on Friday.

Jaswant Narwal, a prosecutor, said in the statement that Mr. Brand would appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London for a first hearing on May 2.

Ms. Narwal added that the charges “relate to reported nonrecent offenses between 1999 and 2005, involving four women.”

The British police began investigating Mr. Brand’s past behavior in Sep. 2023, after three news organizations published a joint investigation.

Representatives for Mr. Brand did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he has repeatedly denied ever having committed sexual assault.

In September 2023, Mr. Brand released a video on social media in which he said the British media was subjecting him to “a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.” Mr. Brand said that he had once been sexually promiscuous but that his sexual encounters were “always consensual.”

Mr. Brand became a star in Britain in the 2000s thanks to acclaimed stand-up shows that often focused on drugs and sex. He also became known as a TV and radio host. He achieved renown in the United States after starring in movies such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek,” and through a brief marriage to the singer Katy Perry.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.