Russell Brand is now facing a larger criminal case in the UK, with prosecutors bringing two additional charges of rape and sexual assault against him. London's Metropolitan Police said Tuesday that the new counts involve two more women and come on top of earlier, similar charges involving multiple women, reports Deadline. Brand, a comedian, TV host, and actor who found later fame as a podcast and online personality, has previously pleaded not guilty and has rejected all allegations, notes the Hollywood Reporter.
He is due to appear in court on Jan. 20 in connection with the latest charges, with a separate trial on the earlier counts scheduled for six months later. Investigators urged anyone else with information or who believes they were affected to contact authorities, adding that the wider inquiry remains active. Detectives began examining Brand's conduct around two years ago, following a joint investigation by Channel 4 and the Sunday Times that detailed multiple allegations of sexual misconduct.
The fallout from those reports has spurred internal reviews at the BBC, Channel 4, and the Banijay production company, all of which worked with Brand through the late 2010s. Those inquiries have led to fresh claims, including a BBC finding that staff in its Los Angeles office had "joked" about an alleged incident in which Brand exposed himself. Channel 4 said its own review uncovered "two new worrying allegations." Separately, Brand has been accused in a civil lawsuit of sexually assaulting a film extra on the New York set of the 2011 comedy Arthur.
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