A London judge has delayed the criminal trial of Russell Brand until October, moving it from an earlier June date.
The decision was confirmed during a court hearing on Monday, March 30.
The judge said a summer start could create practical problems, noting that the court might not have enough time to hear the case fully and could struggle to find jurors able to serve as the summer holiday period begins, The Independent reported.
During the same hearing, the court also combined two sets of charges against Brand into a single trial.
Brand, 50, faces a series of allegations brought by the Crown Prosecution Service.
In April 2025, he was charged with one count each of rape, indecent assault, and oral rape, as well as two counts of sexual assault, according to People.
Those charges relate to allegations from four women and concern incidents said to have taken place between 1999 and 2005. He pleaded not guilty to all counts in May 2025.
Additional charges followed later that year. In December 2025, prosecutors filed further counts of rape and sexual assault linked to two more women. Brand has also pleaded not guilty to those allegations.
The case stems from earlier reporting published in September 2023, when five women came forward with claims in a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times, and Channel 4 current affairs program "Dispatches."
The reporting prompted an investigation by the Metropolitan Police, which later led to the charges now before the court.
Brand has repeatedly denied the accusations and has spoken publicly about his past conduct.
"When I was young and single, before I had my wife and family … I was a fool, man, I was a fool before I lived in the light of the lord. I was a drug addict, sex addict, and an imbecile," he said in a video posted to X.
"But what I never was was a rapist. I've never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes."
He remains on bail as the legal process continues. Brand has a home in Buckinghamshire but is currently living in the U.S.
Before the allegations emerged, Brand built a career in entertainment across television, film, and stand-up comedy.
He first gained recognition in the U.K. as a presenter on "Big Brother" spin-off programs "Big Brother's Big Mouth" and "Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack" before moving into film roles including "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek." Brand was also married to singer Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012.
More recently, he has focused on podcasting and online content and is now married to Laura Gallacher.
The trial is expected to address all charges together following the court's decision to consolidate the case.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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