London — British comedian and actor Russell brand appeared in a London court on Monday for the start of his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault.
The hearing at Southwark Crown Court was adjourned until Tuesday after a morning of jury selection. The prosecution is expected to open its case later this week.
Brand, who is on bail, left the court by the River Thames holding the hand of his wife, Laura Gallacher. He had arrived earlier at the court surrounded by security agents and accompanied by his wife.
Mark, 51 years old, pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges relate to six women and alleged offenses committed between 1999 and 2009. The trial is expected to last up to 10 weeks.
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Prosecutors said in previous hearings that Brand was accused of raping a woman in a hotel room at a Labor Party conference, grabbing a television worker’s breasts and forcing her to perform a sex act in the toilet, and kissing and groping a radio station worker.
Known for his risky stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own radio show on the BBC. He has appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.”
In recent years, he moved away from mainstream media, moved to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion.
The Associated Press does not name victims of alleged sexual violence and British law protects their identities from the media for life.
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