Actor-comedian Russell Brand was granted conditional bail by a London court on Friday after appearing to face charges of rape and sexual assault involving four women.
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Brand, 49, did not enter a plea. He was swarmed by photographers as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for his first hearing since being charged last month.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told Brand to present himself at the Central Criminal Court in central London on May 30 and granted him bail on condition he keeps the court informed of where he is staying, either in the UK or in the US. He currently lives in Florida but is obliged to attend all future court appearances. If he does not, he will face prison.
Brand, who was wearing an open shirt and jeans, listened intently to the details of the charges as he sat in the dock. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, address and that he understood his bail conditions.
On his arrival at court as police tried to control the scrum, a man shouted, “No one is above the law, Russell Brand!”
The comedian, author and Get Him To The Greek actor faces one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape and two of sexual assault. The alleged offences took place between 1999 and 2005 – one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in the Westminster area of central London.