The British comedian arrived at Southwark Crown Court with his wife, Laura Brand, and told reporters waiting outside that "today is the day for truth and justice."
After taking the oath, Russell Brand, 51, took the witness stand and answered “no” to each of the charges: three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted sexual assault.
When questioned by his lawyer, Ian Winter, Brand said the allegations had had a "devastating" effect and that friends and colleagues had turned their backs on him.
"My whole life has been consumed by these events, these accusations, these accusations," he said.
Ruthless and manipulative
Brand said, among other things, that he had been banned from staying in hospital with his son, who was undergoing heart surgery, after anonymous allegations of sexual assault were made against him in a newspaper and a television documentary in 2023.
During the two weeks of the trial so far, the jury has heard testimony from six women who accuse Brand of sexual assaults that allegedly occurred between 1999 and 2009. According to the prosecution, Brand was "ruthless, calculating and manipulative" and a sexual offender.
Consent essential
When the defense asked Brand about the alleged incidents - which prosecutors say took place in locations including a hotel room, MTV's offices and the toilet of a London bar - he denied forcing women to do anything against their will.
"Consent is fundamental, essential, necessary - and in fact, in many ways more important than the sex itself," Brand said.
