Russell Brand arrived at Southwark Crown Court on Monday for the opening day of his trial on charges of rape and sexual assault, BBC News reports.
The 51-year-old comedian and actor faces multiple charges involving six women, with the alleged offences said to have taken place between 1999 and 2009.
Proceedings at the court, which could run for as long as 10 weeks, were expected to begin with jury selection on Monday morning.
Brand entered not guilty pleas to the charges during pre-trial hearings.
He arrived wearing a navy suit and sunglasses, and was accompanied by his wife, Laura. A large media presence gathered at the court for the start of the trial.
The charges consist of three counts of rape, three charges of sexual assault and one allegation of indecent assault.
Brand first became well known as a stand-up comedian and later became a household name through television work including hosting Big Brother’s Big Mouth, as well as his own radio programmes on stations such as BBC Radio 2 and 6 Music.
He subsequently built a career in Hollywood, appearing in films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek. In recent years he has focused on podcasting.







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