Russell Brand Trial: Two Courtrooms, One Celebrity, 108 Reporters
Comedian and actor Russell Brand, 51, stood trial at Southwark crown court on rape and sexual assault allegations. A reporter in the press pack describes 108 journalists, podcasts from at least five outlets and Brand's own recordings made in dressing gowns.
Russell Brand, the 51-year-old comedian and actor, stood trial at Southwark crown court on allegations that he raped or sexually assaulted half a dozen women between 1999 and 2009. It was two courtrooms, one celebrity: 108 journalists covered his case, while a second trial played out minutes away with almost no attention.
That second case involved an unknown man and a girl almost half his age. Its story ran in the same building, out of the spotlight.
A pack at the door
Many reporters waited outside the court from before 7am on the first day. Brand arrived with his wife, Laura, and his bodyguard, walking past a bank of photographers and cameras.
At least five media outlets produced podcasts on the case. One reporter in the press pack called it probably the most scrutinised rape trial in British legal history.
The defendant's own broadcasts
Defendants rarely say anything during a trial. Brand did. He put out podcasts at the start of the trial that mixed prayers with updates on how he felt, and Laura joined many of them.
He described his state of mind as he entered court. "It seems to me that they believe that I am guilty, and that this should be the rubber-stamping of the process of my destruction," he said.
He also described a court security guard who patted him down at an early hearing. According to Brand, the guard whispered: "All right, Russell. The whole country's behind you, mate." Brand said he felt "very, very encouraged".
The couple recorded the updates in loosely belted dressing gowns. In the second mid-trial episode they complimented each other's court outfits.
Why the case draws attention
Brand has spoken openly in his books and comedy about using women for sex. For years that frankness was central to his appeal, and millions of listeners and readers laughed at the anecdotes.
The reporter watching the trial argued that the era of her own early adulthood was effectively on trial alongside him. She described it as a time of rampant sexism masked as ironic laddishness.
In one episode, Brand prayed for people who had suffered harm, then turned to the press. "There may be people watching to find mean things to say," he said. "We pray for them, too."
