LONDON (AP) — Comedian Russell Brand appeared in a London courtroom Monday for the opening of his trial on rape and sexual assault charges.
Brand was accompanied by security guards and his wife, Laura Gallacher, as he arrived at Southwark Crown Court for the first day of the trial, which is expected to last 10 to 12 weeks.
Brand, 51, has denied three charges of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault.
The crimes allegedly involved six women and took place between 1999 and 2009.
He was released on bail ahead of his trial.
Prosecutors have said in previous hearings that Brand was accused of raping a woman in a hotel room at a Labor Party conference, grabbing a TV 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 struggles with drugs and alcohol, Brand was a huge star in the early 2000s with his TV presenting, his own BBC radio show and roles in films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Take Her to the Greek”.
In recent years, he left mainstream media, moved to Florida and built a large online following with videos that mix healthy living, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious affiliation.
The Associated Press does not name alleged victims of sexual violence, and British law protects their identities from the media for life.