Russell Brand Cleared of One Charge as Judge Reclassifies MTV Incident

Russell Brand was found not guilty of one indecent assault charge on Tuesday, though the legal battle is far from over. According to TMZ, the judge directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty after ruling there was insufficient evidence for the specific count of indecent assault ^[1].

The charge stemmed from a 2001 incident at MTV, where a woman alleged Brand tried to drag her into a bathroom. The judge reclassified the offense to attempted indecent assault, stating, "That is my decision, not yours," while ordering the jury to acquit on the original count ^[2].

The jury has not yet deliberated on the remaining charges, which include three counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving six women between 1999 and 2009. Brand has pleaded not guilty to all allegations, including the newly revised attempted indecent assault charge.

The Daily Star reported that the trial heard testimony regarding an alleged incident at a friend’s party, where a woman claimed Brand grabbed her breasts and dragged her into men’s toilets ^[3]. She stated she pushed him away and screamed before he opened the door. In a police interview, Brand denied forcing anyone into a toilet or engaging in non-consensual sexual activity, claiming media coverage had reframed consensual encounters decades later.

The trial continues at Southwark Crown Court in London, with multiple alleged victims having testified about the alleged attacks. It remains unclear if prosecutors will formally pursue the attempted indecent assault charge as a separate count or if it remains part of the current proceedings.