Russell Brand‘s trial over allegations of rape and sexual assault has been delayed until October.
The comedian and actor is accused of three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault, with six women alleging crimes dating from 1999 to 2009. He denies all the claims made against him.
His trial was due to start on June 16 after he was charged with two counts of rape, one count of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault, in relation to alleged offences involving four women between 1999 and 2005 in April 2025.
But fresh charges were brought in December 2025, alleging one count of rape and one of sexual assault against two women, said to have taken place in London in 2009 which Brand pleaded not guilty to in February.
The trial, which will take place at Southwark Crown Court, has now been delayed until October 12, and will bring together all seven charges.
It is expected to last for around two months, after initially being scheduled for up to five weeks, according to Sky News.
The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, said if Brand’s trial started in mid-June, the court may run out of time to hear it and would struggle to find jurors who could sit through the start of the summer holidays.
As the court heard in May 2025, on the original charges, Brand is accused of raping a woman in a hotel room while she attended a Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, and grabbing a TV worker’s breasts and orally raping her in a male toilet.
It’s also alleged that he grabbed a radio station worker’s face, pushing her against the wall and kissing her before groping her breast and buttocks. He is also accused of indecently assaulting another woman after grabbing her forearm and attempting to drag her into a male toilet.
Detectives began to investigate allegations against the former Big Brother’s Big Mouth presenter that came to light following reporting from Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times in September 2023.