"His body was like a snake"—woman’s testimony against British actor Russell in court

A woman has accused British actor and comedian Russell Brand of rape. She alleges that Brand raped her in a hotel room during the Labour Party conference in 1999.

Describing the incident, she characterized his body as "snake-like and repulsive." Brand, however, has denied all allegations brought against him.

On Thursday (October 15), during the second day of the trial at Southwark Crown Court in London, a recording of the woman’s interview with the police was played.

In the recording, she explains that she initially felt safe talking to Brand in the hotel room because she assumed he was gay. However, she was shocked to find him nearly naked upon returning from the bathroom.

"His body felt snake-like to me—truly repulsive," she stated. "Honestly, it made me feel nauseous."

According to the complainant, she had asked Brand to make some coffee in the hotel room before she went to the bathroom. Upon her return, she found Brand wearing only small underwear; he was moving around the room in a strange manner and eventually sat on the bed.

The woman alleges that Brand asked her to take photos of his bare torso, then pushed her onto the bed and removed her clothing. She claims she attempted to resist him and stop him from kissing her.

In her interview with the police, the woman recalled, "I remember him lying on top of me—he was very heavy—and I was trying to push him away."

She further alleges that, at one point, Brand inserted his fingers into her mouth, making it difficult for her to breathe. She maintains that she did not consent to sexual activity, and that Brand continued despite being aware of her lack of consent. In court, the woman stated that during the incident, Brand kept telling her, "Enjoy it, enjoy it." She remarked, "I was being pressured to enjoy something that I did not want."

The complainant alleged that after the incident, she spent a long time in the bathroom trying to clean herself, feeling terrified and helpless.

"I did not find him attractive."

During cross-examination, Brand’s lawyer, Ian Winter, suggested that the woman had been charmed by his client’s attractive personality—a claim the complainant denied.

She replied, "I was not charmed by him, nor did I find him attractive. I thought he was gay."

The woman further expressed that she blamed herself for allowing Brand into her hotel room, noting, "That was my office, my workspace. He violated that personal space."

Becoming emotional during the proceedings, the complainant maintained that she did not consent to sexual relations with Brand. She also told the court that she was unable to resist or intervene at the time of the incident.

Trial underway on seven charges.

Russell Brand, 51, faces charges including three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault. These allegations relate to incidents involving six different women between 1999 and 2009.

On the first day of the trial, prosecutors alleged that Brand had an intense desire for sexual encounters and would attempt to influence women by saying exactly what he knew they wanted to hear.

Brand has denied all allegations and maintains his innocence. The trial is ongoing, and the accusations presented in court have yet to be proven.