Russell Brand was in a London courtroom Friday to face multiple rape charges — and, after a short back and forth with the judge, he walked out of the building a free man … for now.
The actor’s 14 minute court appearance this morning was as simple as answering a bunch of procedural questions from Judge Paul Goldspring, according to the New York Times.
Brand reportedly confirmed his name, date of birth and address in Great Britain, before Goldspring granted him bail. The NYT said Russell thanked the judge and strolled out of the courtroom without showing any “visible emotion.”
As we reported, Brand was charged with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and 2 counts of sexual assault just over a month ago on April 4. The incidents date back to 1999.
According to a court document obtained by the Times, one of the alleged incidents of sexual assault described the star fondling a woman’s breasts, while the woman behind the indecent assault charge — which can include nonconsensual sexual touching without rape — claimed he dragged her toward a male toilet.
The “Stay Free” podcast host denied all the charges while responding in a social media video he recorded while on vacation with his family in Florida.
While he denied raping anyone, he confirmed he was “a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile” when he was younger before finding a life “in the light of the Lord.”
Stay Free with Russell Brand
Stuart Nolan, chair of the Criminal Law Committee of the Law Society, an organization representing British lawyers, said a trial may not start for another year.
However, there is a hearing scheduled for May 30.
