Russell Brand is an English comedian, actor, podcaster, and media personality. Beginning as a stand-up and MTV presenter, he gained prominence hosting 'Big Brother's Big Mouth'. He transitioned to film, starring in comedies like 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' and 'Arthur'. Brand has released several stand-up specials, including 'Scandalous' and 'Messiah Complex'. He's also a radio host with 'The Russell Brand Show' and hosts podcasts like 'Stay Free with Russell Brand' and 'Under the Skin with Russell Brand'. Brand has received British Comedy Awards and a BAFTA nomination. More recently Brand has become known for his political commentary and activism, often promoting anti-establishment views.
On June 4, 1975, Russell Edward Brand was born. He later became an English comedian, actor, podcaster, and media personality.
In 1991, Russell Brand was accepted to the Italia Conti Academy, and his first year of tuition was funded by Essex County Council.
In April 2025, Russell Brand was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault by the Metropolitan Police. The charges related to alleged offenses against four women, with the incidents alleged to have occurred in Westminster and Bournemouth between 1999 and 2005.
In 2000, Russell Brand performed stand-up at the Hackney Empire New Act of the Year final and made his Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut as one-third of the stand-up show Pablo Diablo's Cryptic Triptych.
In 2000, Russell Brand's first presenting role came as a video journalist on MTV UK. He presented Dancefloor Chart and hosted the tea-time request show Select.
Several days after the 11 September 2001 attacks, Russell Brand was dismissed from MTV after coming to work dressed as Osama bin Laden and bringing his drug dealer to the MTV studios.
In 2002, after leaving MTV, Russell Brand starred in RE:Brand, a documentary and comedy television program.
Following the initial accusations in September 2023, another allegation was made to the Metropolitan Police of a sexual assault that took place in 2003.
In 2003, an alleged incident of sexual assault by Russell Brand took place in Soho, London. This allegation predates the period of alleged incidents covered in The Sunday Times and Channel 4 investigations.
In 2004, Russell Brand gained a role as the host of the television show Big Brother's Big Mouth, which was a spin-off of Big Brother.
In 2004, Russell Brand hosted Big Brother's Eforum on E4, a sister show to Big Brother 5.
In 2004, Russell Brand took his first one-man show, the confessional Better Now, to the Edinburgh Festival, giving an account of his heroin addiction.
In 2004, following a show in Edinburgh, a reviewer stated that "you'd rather hug him than hit him", as Russell Brand had embraced recovery by this point.
Russell Brand hosted the 2009 MTV VMAs, and the ratings for the 2009 show were the best since the 2004 VMAs.
In April 2025, Russell Brand was charged with multiple counts of sexual assault by the Metropolitan Police. The charges related to alleged offenses against four women, with the incidents alleged to have occurred in Westminster and Bournemouth between 1999 and 2005.
In September 2006, the second series of Russell Brand's chat show, 1 Leicester Square, began on MTV.
From 2006 to 2008, Russell Brand hosted his own radio show, The Russell Brand Show.
In 2006, Russell Brand launched his first nationwide tour, Shame, drawing on embarrassing incidents in his own life and the coverage about him in the tabloid press. The show was released on DVD as Russell Brand: Live.
In 2006, Vanessa Feltz released a clip from Russell Brand's TV show where he made sexually suggestive comments towards her and her daughters, which she found deeply offensive.
In November 2024, detectives sent the Crown Prosecution Service a file of evidence so the prosecutors could consider bringing charges against Russell Brand for offences alleged between 2006 and 2013.
In September 2023, following a joint investigation, five women publicly accused Russell Brand of sexual assault and sexual and emotional abuse, concerning incidents beginning in 2006 and continuing to 2013. These allegations were featured in the episode Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.
In March 2007, Russell Brand co-hosted an evening of the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs with Noel Fielding.
In July 2007, Russell Brand hosted the 2007 Brit Awards and presented Oasis with an award. On July 7, he presented at the UK leg of Live Earth at Wembley Stadium, London.
On October 22, 2007, Russell Brand's Ponderland first aired on Channel 4, featuring stand-up comedy about topics like childhood and science.
In December 2007, Russell Brand performed for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip as an act in the 2007 Royal Variety Performance.
On December 12, 2007, BBC Four aired Russell Brand On the Road, a documentary presented by Brand and Matt Morgan about Jack Kerouac and his novel On the Road.
In 2007, Lorraine Kelly reported feeling uncomfortable during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show after Russell Brand touched her thigh and made a derogatory comment.
In 2007, Russell Brand had his first major film role in the British comedy St Trinian's.
In 2007, Russell Brand showed interest in the Hare Krishna movement. He wrote in a Guardian column, "I say Hare Krishna as often as possible, sometimes even when I'm not being filmed".
Russell Brand and Laura Gallacher first dated in 2007, when Gallacher was 19 and Brand was 30.
On January 25, 2008, Channel 4 showed Comedy Live Presents: Russell Brand and Friends, a one-off stand-up comedy show.
On January 8, 2008, Russell Brand "hijacked" the Big Brother house as part of the E4 show Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack.
On October 30, 2008, the second series of Russell Brand's Ponderland began airing on Channel 4.
During a live show in Northampton in 2008, Russell Brand made a hoax call to police, pretending to be a witness to assaults. He later apologized for the call, which was widely condemned.
In 2008, Russell Brand allegedly exposed himself to a woman at the BBC's Los Angeles office and laughed about it on his BBC Radio 2 show minutes later. This information resurfaced in September 2023 when the woman came forward with her accusation.
In 2008, Russell Brand hosted the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), which led to controversy due to his comments on Britney Spears, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush.
In 2008, Russell Brand starred in the Hollywood comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Russell Brand hosted the 2008 MTV VMAs, which led to death threats and controversy. On January 25, 2008, Channel 4 showed Comedy Live Presents: Russell Brand and Friends.
In March 2009, Russell Brand's special for Comedy Central, titled Russell Brand in New York, aired.
From January to April 2009, Russell Brand toured the UK, America, and Australia with his show Russell Brand: Scandalous.
On September 13, 2009, Russell Brand returned to host the MTV VMAs at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
In 2009, Russell Brand appeared in the television documentary, Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut), showing his comedic influences and admiration for the group.
In 2009, Russell Brand organized three fundraisers for Focus 12 in London, Dublin, and Belfast.
In 2009, Russell Brand released the stand-up special Scandalous.
In mid-2009, Russell Brand met Katy Perry when she filmed a cameo for his film "Get Him to the Greek". They began dating after meeting again at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards in September. The two became engaged on New Year's Eve 2009 during a holiday in India.
On 16 September 2010, Russell Brand was arrested on suspected battery charges after he allegedly attacked a paparazzo who blocked his and then-fiancée Katy Perry's way to catch a flight at Los Angeles International Airport. He was released the next day after posting US$20,000 bail.
On 23 October 2010, Russell Brand and Katy Perry married in a Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India.
In 2010, Russell Brand starred in the Hollywood comedy Get Him to the Greek.
In 2010, during the production of the film Arthur (released in 2011), Russell Brand allegedly exposed himself and later trapped and assaulted a woman in a bathroom. She was an extra on the film. This led to a lawsuit filed against him and Warner Bros in November 2023.
On April 7, 2025, news outlets reported that Russell Brand was the subject of a civil action case filed in New York state, accusing him of sexual assault whilst intoxicated during the filming of Arthur in 2010. The case also names Warner Bros. Discovery and others.
On February 12, 2011, Russell Brand guest hosted an episode of the American sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live.
On 30 December 2011, Russell Brand filed for divorce from Katy Perry, citing irreconcilable differences. He informed her of the divorce via text message on 31 December 2011.
In 2011, Russell Brand served as best man at Noel Gallagher's wedding to Sara MacDonald.
In 2011, Russell Brand starred in the Hollywood comedy Arthur.
The comedy film Arthur, during the production of which an alleged assault occurred in 2010, was released in 2011.
On 15 March 2012, an arrest warrant was issued for Russell Brand in New Orleans because of allegations that he had thrown a photographer's mobile phone through a window while filming a movie. The warrant cited "simple criminal damage to property."
In July 2012, Russell Brand and Katy Perry's divorce was finalized. Perry's autobiographical documentary, Katy Perry: Part of Me, showed the couple having conflicting career schedules and Perry not feeling ready to have children.
In 2012, Russell Brand briefly dated singer Geri Halliwell.
In 2012, Russell Brand hosted the MTV Movie Awards and Brand X with Russell Brand, a late-night talk show on FX.
In 2012, Russell Brand starred in Rock of Ages.
Russell Brand appeared in a sketch and performed stand-up at Amnesty International's Secret Policeman's Ball in 2012 at Radio City Music Hall, reprising a role he had also performed in 2006.
In September 2013, during his acceptance speech at the GQ Awards, Russell Brand, after receiving the "Oracle" award, made a remark about Hugo Boss's history with the Gestapo and imitated the Nazi march. He was subsequently ejected from the event after GQ editor Dylan Jones confronted him, deeming the speech offensive.
In October 2013, Russell Brand guest-edited a special issue of the New Statesman, focusing on revolution and objecting to the destruction of Earth through exploitation and greed.
In October 2013, Russell Brand was interviewed by Jeremy Paxman on BBC's Newsnight where he criticized the British political system, discouraged voting, and discussed his views on revolution.
In November 2013, The Sun printed a story alleging that Russell Brand had been unfaithful to Jemima Khan.
In 2013, Brand X with Russell Brand was cancelled after running for two seasons.
In 2013, Russell Brand guest-edited an edition of the British political weekly New Statesman and became known as a public activist and campaigner.
In 2013, Russell Brand presented and toured his comedy show Messiah Complex, in which he humorously compared himself to figures like Gandhi, Guevara, Malcolm X, and Jesus.
In 2013, Russell Brand released the stand-up special Messiah Complex.
In November 2024, detectives sent the Crown Prosecution Service a file of evidence so the prosecutors could consider bringing charges against Russell Brand for offences alleged between 2006 and 2013.
In September 2023, following a joint investigation, five women publicly accused Russell Brand of sexual assault and sexual and emotional abuse, concerning incidents between 2006 and 2013. These allegations were featured in the episode Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.
In January 2014, Russell Brand was invited to participate in an interview by the Cambridge Union Society. Also in January 2014, he launched his YouTube series The Trews: True News with Russell Brand.
In May 2014, Russell Brand received unspecified libel damages from The Sun after they printed a story in November 2013 alleging that he had been unfaithful to Jemima Khan. He said he would donate the damages to the Hillsborough Justice Campaign.
In June 2014, Russell Brand participated in the People's Assembly Against Austerity, addressing a crowd of approximately 50,000 people and calling for a reclaiming of power from those in government.
In September 2014, Russell Brand and Jemima Khan ended their relationship.
In October 2014, around the time of the publication of his book Revolution, John Lydon criticized Brand's advocacy of non-voting as "the most idiotic thing I've ever heard".
In the October 2014 issue of Vanity Fair, Russell Brand addressed the allegations of misogyny made against him.
In November 2014, Russell Brand was identified as the celebrity with the most negative influence on political debate, according to a YouGov poll, with 60% of participants disliking him.
In December 2014, Russell Brand joined East London residents to protest rising rents at the New Era housing estate. A Channel 4 News reporter's line of questioning about Brand's property value led to Brand calling the reporter "snide", a clip which went viral.
In 2014, Russell Brand launched his political-comedy web series The Trews on YouTube, released a book entitled Revolution, and acted in the documentary The Emperor's New Clothes.
In January 2015, Russell Brand insulted politician Ed Balls on Channel 4's Big Fat Anniversary Quiz, leading to Balls calling Brand a "pound shop Ben Elton".
In March 2015, Russell Brand announced the opening of the Trew Era Cafe in Hackney, funded by his Revolution book sales, which would employ recovering drug addicts. Also in March 2015, readers of Prospect magazine voted Brand the fourth-most influential thinker in the world.
In March 2015, a biographical documentary titled Brand: A Second Coming was released.
In March 2015, the documentary film Brand: A Second Coming, reflecting on Russell Brand's shift into political activism, premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
In April 2015, The Emperor's New Clothes, a documentary produced by Russell Brand and directed by Michael Winterbottom, premiered internationally at the Tribeca Film Festival, examining the 2008 financial crisis and global economic inequality.
In April 2015, eight days before the UK general election, Russell Brand published an interview with Labour leader Ed Miliband on The Trews. He also interviewed Green Party leaders and supported Caroline Lucas in Brighton.
In 2015, Russell Brand dropped his anti-voting stance and endorsed the Labour party, encouraging his fans to vote Labour, while also endorsing Jeremy Corbyn in the 2015 Labour Party leadership election.
Since 2015, Russell Brand has been in a relationship with Scottish blogger and former restaurateur Laura Gallacher.
In November 2016, Russell Brand and Laura Gallacher's first daughter was born.
Since 2016, Russell Brand has been training in the martial art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and has earned a purple belt in the discipline, which he credits with improving his life.
In January 2017, Russell Brand announced his new tour Re:Birth, which was scheduled to debut in April 2017.
In April 2017, Russell Brand's new tour Re:Birth debuted.
On 26 August 2017, Russell Brand married Laura Gallacher in Henley-on-Thames.
At the time of his 2017 wedding, Russell Brand lived near Henley-on-Thames. He also owns The Crown Inn pub in Pishill.
In 2017, Russell Brand hosted his own radio show, The Russell Brand Show.
In 2017, Russell Brand told The Guardian that he believed in a Higher Power as described by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).
On April 30, 2018, Russell Brand was forced to cancel the remaining dates of his Re:Birth tour after his mother was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident.
In July 2018, Russell Brand and Laura Gallacher had a second daughter.
Russell Brand's Re:Birth tour, which debuted in April 2017, was originally scheduled to run through November 2018, but was cut short due to an accident involving his mother.
On December 4, 2018, Russell Brand: Re:Birth, filmed in London in April 2018, was released as a standup comedy film on Netflix.
In 2018, the Focus 12 drug treatment programme and rehabilitation charity, of which Russell Brand was a patron, closed after his own use of the service.
In 2020 an allegation was made against Russell Brand which he vehemently denied. His agent Tavistock Wood believed they were horribly misled by him.
In September 2021, Russell Brand shared information on how to bypass COVID-19 safety measures with attendees of his tour.
In September 2022, after YouTube removed one of his videos for violating its medical misinformation policy, Russell Brand moved his channel to Rumble and launched a new daily live show, Stay Free with Russell Brand.
In 2022, Russell Brand reacted to the World Health Organization's meetings on the pandemic treaty, saying "Your democracy is fucking finished" and that the world had "lapsed into a terrible technocratic, globalist agenda". Early that year, Brand also released a video decrying the media for allegedly ignoring the Canada convoy protest.
In March 2023, Finn McRedmond of The New Statesman described Russell Brand as having melded his "trad-socialist values" with "all the suspicions and anxieties of the new American right".
In September 2023, Russell Brand performed at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre and expressed gratitude for support while acknowledging limitations on what he could discuss. Later in September 2023, the remaining dates of his tour were postponed, and he was dropped by his agent, Tavistock Wood, due to accusations of being misled regarding allegations.
In September 2023, allegations from four women were published accusing Russell Brand of sexual assaults and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches. A fifth woman accused him of flashing his genitals at her.
In September 2023, following a joint investigation, five women publicly accused Russell Brand of sexual assault and sexual and emotional abuse, concerning incidents between 2006 and 2013. These allegations were featured in the episode Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.
On September 17, 2023, the Metropolitan Police received an allegation of sexual assault against Russell Brand, said to have occurred in Soho, London, in 2003.
On September 21, 2023, a woman accused Russell Brand of exposing himself to her at the BBC's Los Angeles office in 2008, and then laughing about it minutes later on his BBC Radio 2 show.
In November 2023, a woman filed a lawsuit against Russell Brand under New York's Adult Survivors Act, alleging that in 2010 he exposed himself, trapped, and assaulted her in a bathroom during the production of the comedy film Arthur (2011). Warner Bros. and others involved in Arthur's production were also named as defendants for neglecting, aiding, and abetting misconduct by Brand on the film set.
On November 19, 2023, Russell Brand was questioned by police regarding alleged sexual assaults.
In 2023, Russell Brand and Laura Gallacher had a son. The information was confirmed in January 2024.
In 2023, Russell Brand released the stand-up special Brandemic.
In January 2024, Russell Brand confirmed that his son with Laura Gallacher was born in 2023.
On April 28, 2024, Russell Brand became a Christian and was water baptised by Bear Grylls.
In May 2024, Russell Brand performed a comedy set at a campaign event for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for which he was paid around $70,000.
In July 2024, Russell Brand attended the Republican National Convention.
In November 2024, detectives investigating allegations of offences between 2006 and 2013 sent the Crown Prosecution Service a file of evidence for prosecutors to consider bringing charges against Russell Brand.
On 6 February 2025, Russell Brand was sued for sexual abuse at the High Court of Justice in London.
On 4 April 2025, Russell Brand was charged by Metropolitan Police with one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault. The charges related to alleged offenses against four women, with the incidents alleged to have occurred in Westminster and Bournemouth between 1999 and 2005. Brand denied the charges.
On 7 April 2025, news outlets reported Russell Brand to be the subject of a previously mentioned civil action case filed in New York state, accusing him of sexual assault whilst intoxicated during the filming of "Arthur." Concerns were raised that the two legal actions (the UK criminal charges and the US civil case) may prejudice each other.
On April 7, 2025, news outlets reported that Russell Brand was the subject of a civil action case filed in New York state, accusing him of sexual assault whilst intoxicated during the filming of Arthur in 2010. The case also names Warner Bros. Discovery and others.
On 2 May 2025, Russell Brand appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court for his first hearing and was granted bail. He confirmed his personal details and that he understood his bail conditions. He refuted the charges outside of court. On 30 May 2025 the case was referred to the Old Bailey with the next hearing set and Brand entered a plea of not guilty.
In April 2025, the news reported that Russell Brand was accused in the civil action case filed in New York state, accusing him of sexual assault whilst intoxicated, whilst filming Arthur. While his legal team's request for a delay was rejected, the deadline to submit his deposition for the US lawsuit was extended to 30 October 2025.
Russell Brand's trial is scheduled to begin on 3 June 2026 after his not guilty plea on 30 May 2025.
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