Russell Brand's former personal assistant has testified that the comedian displayed an "insane sexual appetite" and engaged in behaviour that was "on another level" compared to other celebrities she had worked with, during the opening stages of his trial at Southwark Crown Court.
According to The Guardian, Helen Berger told the court on Monday that she witnessed Brand treat women poorly during her employment from June 2006 to February 2007, when he was at the peak of his career. Brand, 51, faces three charges of rape, three of sexual assault, and one of indecent assault relating to six women across allegations spanning from 1999 to 2009. He denies all charges.
Berger described an environment in which Brand maintained multiple simultaneous commitments—including Channel 4's Big Brother, MTV and BBC radio shows, a national comedy tour, a weekly Guardian column, and book writing—while simultaneously pursuing numerous sexual encounters. In her May 2024 police statement read to the court, she stated: "In addition to his busy work, he had an insane sexual appetite and was sleeping with people day and night. He was very open about what his needs were."
The former assistant recounted specific incidents that illustrated Brand's behaviour during this period. She described him conducting a television interview with actress Sadie Frost while wearing only underwear and an open robe, and recalled him frequently walking around his home in minimal clothing. She also alleged that Brand would use the website MySpace to identify women for sexual encounters and that he maintained a pattern of sexual activity at his Camden flat in north London.
Berger testified that she was tasked with collecting telephone numbers from female audience members during Brand's MTV work, though she stopped the practice after becoming uncomfortable. According to ITV News, she also recalled an instance where Brand abruptly withdrew his attention from a woman after learning she was in a relationship, describing how "he literally just switched off his charm and moved on to the next woman."
The court heard that Berger had been required to prevent Brand's mother and girlfriend from entering his dressing room on multiple occasions because he was engaged in sexual activity. She also alleged overhearing Brand receiving oral sex in a women's toilet cubicle, identifying him by his distinctive cowboy boots visible beneath the partition.
During Brand's appearance at the Edinburgh Festival, Berger testified that he concluded his performance by inviting anyone with "a vagina and heartbeat" to meet him at a nearby pub. She stated that many women attended and that she subsequently discovered him having sex in the shower of his rented accommodation.
Berger acknowledged in her statement: "I never witnessed Russell doing anything against the law," but added: "I did see Russell treat women poorly."
What did prosecution witnesses allege about specific incidents?
The court also heard a witness statement from the manager of a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by Brand while working at Channel 4 in 2009. The manager testified that the alleged victim reported Brand's associates Jack Bayles and Gareth Roy had instructed her that she "had to give Mr Brand a massage" or he would not continue with the day's recording. The manager stated she was told that both men "were there the whole time and watched and laughed while Mr Brand sexually assaulted her right in front of them."
A sister of a woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted and orally raped by Brand at a Soho bar in 2004 provided testimony about her sibling's emotional state following the alleged incident. According to The Telegraph, the sister described being told the "full story" when the woman called her in tears in 2023, recalling that her sibling "sounded like she was struggling to catch her breath" and reported that Brand's "eyes had gone completely black and he was possessed or had been a completely different person."
What is the current status of the trial?
Brand sat motionless in the dock wearing a grey suit and white shirt as prosecution witness statements were presented to the court on Monday, 26 October 2026. The prosecution case is nearing completion, with the defence scheduled to begin presenting its case on Tuesday lunchtime, 27 October. The trial, which began with jury selection on 13 October, is expected to continue for six to eight weeks.
