Russell Brand has revealed in a recent interview that he once slept with a 16-year-old when he was 30, describing the encounter as exploitative. The disclosure comes as the 50-year-old comedian faces multiple rape and sexual-assault charges in London. Brand has denied criminal wrongdoing and is preparing to defend himself at a consolidated trial later this year.
Brand made the admission during an episode of The Megyn Kelly Show posted April 22, telling host Megyn Kelly, “I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30,” and adding that the relationship felt exploitative. His comments, and the wider on-air discussion about fame, consent and atonement, were reported by Cleveland.com.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the initial charges in April 2025 after a Metropolitan Police investigation, the CPS said in a press release. Brand pleaded not guilty to those counts in May and has denied the later additional allegations, according to The Associated Press.
Trial Date And Consolidated Case
A judge has since joined two sets of allegations and reset the consolidated trial to begin Oct. 12 at Southwark Crown Court to avoid summer juror shortages. The combined case now lists seven charges brought by six women and is expected to run roughly two months, as reported by Sky News.
What He Told Megyn Kelly
On the show, Brand framed his past sexual conduct as driven by fame and said it required atonement, arguing that celebrity created an “opportunity for endless consent.” The full interview and clips are available on The Megyn Kelly Show website.
How This Surfaced
The complaints that led to the police investigation followed a 2023 probe by The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches that gathered accounts from multiple women about Brand's behaviour. That reporting and the subsequent inquiries prompted additional scrutiny and the CPS decision to authorise charges, according to The Guardian.
Legal Note
The age of consent in the U.K. is 16, but experts and prosecutors caution that age alone does not erase concerns about exploitation, grooming or abuse of power. Guidance from the NSPCC explains those protections and the role of “position of trust” rules, and the Crown Prosecution Service sets out how historic sexual-offence allegations are assessed in charging decisions.
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