Russell Brand rape accuser details hotel room encounter

A woman who alleges Russell Brand raped her at a Labour Party conference in 1999 told Southwark Crown Court she felt "dirty" and feared she might be pregnant following the alleged attack. The court heard she initially felt it was her fault but later suppressed the memory due to Brand's growing public profile.

Encounter at the hotel

The woman recounted that she met Brand at a cabaret show during the 1999 conference in Bournemouth. Believing him to be gay and not a threat, she suggested they continue their conversation at her hotel. Once in the room, she told police that Brand, after removing his shirt, forced her into sex, taking her trousers off and pushing her onto the bed. She described feeling "frightened" and "taken aback" by his behaviour, which she likened to "goose steps like Basil Fawlty". She stated she "drifted out of my head" during the alleged assault, which she recalled as being "quick".

In a video recorded interview played in court, she told police, "He knew exactly what he was doing. He wanted to have sex that night and I was there." She also recalled his "lizard-like" tongue and trying "not to let him" during the encounter. Afterwards, she said Brand appeared unconcerned, dressed, and wrote down his email address, remarking he "had to get back to his mum".

Years of silence

The woman told police she kept quiet about the incident for years as she observed Brand becoming "more and more famous". She said she "chose to suppress it" and "didn’t want any of this to be in the public domain". She stated that a 2023 Dispatches documentary about allegations of sexual misconduct by Brand "triggered" her to come forward to the police.

Brand's defence

Russell Brand denies all charges against him, which include three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault. The prosecution, led by Riel Karmy-Jones KC, described Brand as a "sexual predator" who was "ruthless, calculated and manipulative" towards women. The defence is expected to argue that any sexual encounters were consensual and that the accusers have "reimagined" their experiences.

The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court. Mr Justice Bennathan informed the jury that they would not be shown the Dispatches documentary, deeming it "not fair".