The Trial of Russell Brand: Sign up to The Crime Desk newsletter for exclusive updates from inside court - and a Q&A outlining everything you need to know about the case

Russell Brand is on trial for rape and sexual assault after being accused by six women of sexual abuse allegations spanning ten years.

The 51-year-old comedian, broadcaster and actor has denied the charges and previously said in a video he shared online: 'I'm now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court and I'm incredibly grateful for that.'

He will appear at Southwark Crown Court for the next six to eight weeks where the jury will hear from the prosecution and defence. 

Daily Mail journalists Rebecca Camber, Liz Hull and Caroline Cheetham will be at the court every day reporting on the trial as it unfolds. 

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Each week one of our veteran court reporters will be sharing details on the trial that you may have missed. 

Brand has performed as a stand-up comic and podcaster as well as presenting shows such as Big Brother's Big Mouth and acting in films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek.

After being married to US pop star Katy Perry between 2010 and 2012, he has been wed to Laura Gallacher – sister of sports presenter Kirsty – since 2017 and the couple have three children together.

Brand, who has a home in Florida, earlier this year sold the historic Crown Inn near Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, which he had previously planned to partially turn into a recording studio for his social media broadcasts.

Court filings have accused him of raping a woman in a hotel room during a political conference, pinning another woman against a wall at a London radio station before allegedly groping her, and orally raping a woman during a birthday party at a Westminster bar.

He is accused of raping a woman at a hotel room in Bournemouth as she attended a Labour Party conference in 1999, and grabbing the breasts of a TV worker then orally raping her after dragging her into a male toilet in 2004.

Brand also faces claims he grabbed the face of a radio station worker, pushing her against a wall and kissing her before groping her buttocks and breasts.

Brand has repeatedly denied all allegations and insisted he never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity.

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