Russell Brand Trial: MTV Worker Says She Was Left ‘Bewildered and Confused’ by Alleged Assault

A woman who alleges that Russell Brand tried to pull her into a toilet at MTV has told a London court she was left feeling “bewildered and confused” by the encounter. The woman, who worked at MTV at the time, testified that the entertainer’s behaviour changed suddenly during the alleged incident in 2001.

Brand, 51, is facing seven charges involving six female complainants. The charges include three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The allegations cover a period from 1999 to 2009. Brand denies all the charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Giving evidence from behind a screen at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, the woman described an initially friendly exchange with Brand. She said she recognised him when they met and that they joked about his distinctive T-shirt, which carried the words “I am Spartacus”. According to her testimony, Brand offered to give her the shirt after she complimented it.

The witness said Brand later asked for directions to the bathroom. As she was heading in the same direction, she offered to show him the way. However, she told the jury that his demeanour changed when they reached the bathroom door.

“He grabbed my forearm, he was leaning into the door and he was quite forceful,” she said. She alleged that Brand tried to pull her inside while telling her to come on. She said she resisted, asking him what he was doing and demanding that he let her go.

The woman testified that she eventually managed to free herself from his grip. She described the encounter as lasting about 20 seconds and said Brand had gone from being “jovial, affable, friendly” to a “wild-eyed maniac”. She told the court she was afraid to report the incident to her employer because she believed it would be her word against his, although she said she told two colleagues.

The complainant said she reported the allegation to police in 2023 after watching a Channel 4 documentary about Brand. During cross-examination, defence barrister Ian Winter KC questioned why she had not reported the incident earlier. She responded that Brand had not managed to rape her because she had escaped, and rejected the suggestion that her interpretation of his intentions arose only after watching the programme.

Earlier on Friday, Andrew Dobson, a former flatmate of Brand, also gave evidence. He described the entertainer as vibrant, egotistical, lively and persuasive, adding that “sex was a huge preoccupation for him”. Dobson recalled occasions when Brand appeared focused on getting someone into bed.

Dobson also described Brand returning to accommodation in a hurried and tense atmosphere after an alleged rape at a Bournemouth guesthouse in 1999. He told jurors that the mood had changed abruptly, although he said he could not recall anything specific being said to explain the urgency. Brand denies the charges and has said that any sexual contact, if it occurred, was consensual. The trial is continuing.