Russell Brand‘s criminal trial in London continued on Friday, with his second accuser alleging that Brand was a “wild-eyed maniac” as he tried to pull her into a bathroom. The actor and comedian has been charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault relating to incidents with six women spanning from 1999 to 2009. He has pleaded not guilty and denied all allegations against him.
Arriving to Southwark Crown Court, Brand wore a grey suit, white shirt and grey skinny tie. His wife, Laura Gallacher, was by his side again after not attending court on Thursday. He told reporters outside the courthouse that the trial has been an “extraordinary and stressful situation,” according to Sky News.
As I’ve said before, I pray for everybody involved,” he continued. In the U.K., all complainants in sexual assault cases are granted automatic lifelong anonymity if they so choose. She said she met Brand while working at MTV in 2001 and complimented his T-shirt, which read “I Am Spartacus,” referencing Stanley Kubrick’s 1960 film.
It was “jovial and cheerful banter,” she said, according to Sky News. He then asked her where the bathroom was, and she agreed to show him as she was going that direction anyway. Once they got to the bathroom, “his demeanor changed,” she claimed.
He allegedly grabbed her arm “hard” and pleaded with her to “come in, come in, come in,” she added. The woman tried to pull herself away, and said at this point Brand had a “wild look in his eye.” Once she broke free, she called him an “idiot” and then he “gave up” and went into the toilet. After the incident, she questioned how Brand “went from jovial and friendly to this wild-eyed maniac,” according to Sky News.
She proceeded to tell two colleagues but not her managers as Brand, who hosted several programs for MTV at the time, was a huge “asset” to MTV and she thought she wouldn’t be believed. On Thursday, the court heard from the first alleged victim via her police video interview. She described in detail an alleged rape by Brand that occurred at the Labour Party conference in 1999 after she met Brand at a cabaret show he was performing in.
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