Russell Brand Charged With $3x And Assault … To Go To Court In May: Police
The actor was charged by the Metropolitan Police on April 4 following allegations that he coerced $3x girls, assaulted $3x and defrauded multiple women. Russell Brand is facing multiple charges related to the $3x coercion.

In an April 4 news release, the Metropolitan Police said they had charged Brand, 49, with one count of ***, one count of oral assault of $3x and two counts of close-in assault following an investigation by detectives that began in 2023. The charges relate to four women.

The comedian and actor is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on May 2.

The charges Brand faces include a woman who said she was raped for $3x in a town in southern England in 1999, a woman who said she was raped for… in London in 2001, a woman who said she was raped for $3x orally in London in 2004 and a woman who said she was raped for $3x in London between 2004 and 2005.

Inspector Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said in a statement, “The women who have reported continue to receive support from specially trained officers. The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives are asking anyone affected by this case, or anyone with information, to come forward and speak to police.”

Brand’s legal representative did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Five women – four unnamed and one aged 16 – previously came forward with allegations against Brand in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches programme in September 2023.

Before the allegations in the Times and Channel 4 investigation, which allegedly took place between 2006 and 2013, were made public, Brand addressed them in a video posted to social media on January 15, 2023, in which he denied them.“I received two extremely disturbing letters, or a letter and an email, one from a mainstream television company, one from a newspaper, outlining a series of extremely serious and aggressive attacks,” he said. “But in the midst of this incredible, quite bizarre series of attacks are some very serious allegations that I completely deny.”

He also went into more detail about the time frame in which the allegations allegedly took place, stating that “the relationships that I had were completely, completely consensual.”

“I was always transparent about that then — almost too transparent,” he added. “And I’m transparent about that now. And to see that transparency metastasize into something criminal, I completely deny that.”

Following the allegations, The Times reported that “a number of women” had contacted the publication since the report was published. Scotland Yard and the BBC also confirmed to PEOPLE that they were aware of the allegations.

“We spoke to The Sunday Times on 16 September,” Scotland Yard (headquarters of the Metropolitan Police) said in a statement to PEOPLE, confirming that it “has not received any reports in relation to this matter.”

“We will continue to liaise with The Sunday Times and Channel 4 to ensure that any victims of crime they have spoken to are aware of how they can report any criminal allegations to the police,” the statement added.

A BBC spokesperson shared in a statement to PEOPLE: “The documentary and associated reports contain serious allegations, spanning a number of years. Russell Brand worked on BBC radio programmes between 2006 and 2008 and we are urgently looking into the issues raised.”

Channel 4 and Banijay, the new owners of Big Brother producer Endemol, have also launched investigations into the allegations.

A number of individuals have also parted ways with the comedian, including his literary agent, Tavistock Wood, who confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement that he will no longer represent him. Trevi Women and Children’s Charity UK, which Brand has partnered with through his Stay Free Foundation, has also severed ties.

The three stand-up shows Brand was scheduled to perform on his Bipolarisation tour have also been postponed following the allegations.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, tour organizers said in a statement at the time: “We are postponing these remaining charity fundraising shows, we hate to do that – but we know you will understand.”