Russell Brand Accuser Argues He Wanted To Assault Her When Trying To Drag Her Into A Toilet: “The Intent Was There”
A second accuser in Russell Brand’s trial told the court that he allegedly tried to pull her into a toilet at MTV’s London offices around 25 years ago. She said he gripped her arm and urged her to come inside, but she pulled away after about 20 seconds; she believes his intention was to assault her.
The woman said nothing romantic had been suggested beforehand and that she later told two colleagues, but did not report the incident to her employers because she feared it would be her word against his. Brand denies wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty to seven charges relating to allegations by six women between 1999 and 2009. The court has also heard evidence concerning a separate alleged rape in 1999 and testimony from witnesses about events around that time.
- A second accuser described an alleged attempt to pull her into a toilet.
- She said she escaped and did not report it to her employers at the time.
- Brand denies all seven charges involving allegations by six women.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The accuser’s account, if accepted, supports her belief that Brand meant to assault her: she says he gripped her arm and tried to draw her into a toilet despite her pulling away, with no romantic context beforehand. Her account of telling colleagues at the time may also be seen as consistent with a genuine concern, while her fear that she would not be believed could help explain why she did not report it to her employers.
The case against
Brand denies wrongdoing and has pleaded not guilty, and the allegation must be tested against the evidence in court before any conclusion is reached. The reported account does not establish his intention on its own; the passage of roughly 25 years and the lack of a contemporaneous report to her employers may be relevant to how the evidence is assessed, while not by themselves disproving her account.