Russell Brand has been charged with rape, indecent assault and sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.

The charges relate to four separate women.

Brand has been interviewed multiple times by police since an investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4?s Dispatches in September 2023 revealed multiple serious allegations against him.

In a new video posted on X this afternoon, Brand said: ?What I never was, was a rapist. I?ve never engaged in non-consensual activity.?

He added: "I'm now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I?m incredibly grateful for that.?

In a short statement, the Metropolitan Police said it had written to Brand to inform him that he was being charged with one allegation of rape, one allegation of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two further counts of sexual assault.

The force said it Is alleged that:

In 1999 a woman was raped in the Bournemouth area.

In 2001 a woman was indecently assaulted in the Westminster area of London.

In 2004 a woman was orally raped and sexually assaulted in the Westminster area of London.

Between 2004 and 2005, a woman was sexually assaulted in the Westminster area of London.

Brand has been told to appear at Westminster Magistrates? Court on 2 May, but he is believed to be in the United States.

In these situations, where a suspect may be overseas, prosecutors seek to agree the defendant?s return. If there is no co-operation from a suspect, authorities then consider seeking extradition.

In February a civil case for ?personal injury? and ?sexual abuse? was lodged against Brand at the High Court in London by an anonymous woman, referred to in court documents as AGX.

Jaswant Narwal of the Crown Prosecution Service said: ?We have today authorised the Metropolitan Police to charge Russell Brand with a number of sexual offences.

?We carefully reviewed the evidence after a police investigation into allegations made following the broadcast of a Channel 4 documentary in September 2023.

?We have concluded that Russell Brand should be charged with offences including rape, sexual assault and indecent assault. These relate to reported non-recent offences between 1999 and 2005, involving four women.

?The Crown Prosecution Service reminds everyone that criminal proceedings are active, and the defendant has the right to a fair trial. It Is extremely important that there be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.?

The Metropolitan Police's detective superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: ?The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.

?The Met?s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police. A dedicated team of investigators is available via email at CIT@met.police.uk.

?Support is also available by contacting the independent charity, Rape Crisis at 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line.?

Brand, who was born in Essex, rose to fame in as a stand-up comedian, performing at the Hackney Empire in 2000 and later the Edinburgh Fringe.

He later moved into broadcasting, hosting national television and radio programmes.

The turning point in his career came in the mid-2000s, when he hosted Big Brother?s Big Mouth, a companion show to the hugely popular reality series Big Brother.

It provided the springboard he was looking for and led to him becoming one of the most sought-after presenters in the UK.

Brand went on to host the NME, MTV and Brit awards ceremonies, was gifted his own debate series by E4, and fronted the UK leg of charity concert Live Earth.

But he was never far away from controversy, particularly at awards ceremonies ? which provided the kind of live, anything-can-happen chaos where he was most at home.

His career included hosting radio shows on the BBC, in particular for 6 Music and Radio 2, between 2006 and 2008.

But inappropriate phone calls he made to the Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs during a show in 2008 prompted a huge scandal ? and ultimately led to his dismissal.

He rebounded with a Hollywood career, starring in films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek.

Recent years have seen him take a new direction ? particularly since the start of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

Brand grew his following on YouTube as he discussed scepticism surrounding the disease.

He has developed a cult following for his views on politics and society, through videos which challenge the mainstream reporting of a range of subjects and often amplify conspiracy theories. He has also established himself as a wellness guru. (BBC)

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