Russell Brand has admitted to sleeping with a 16-year-old when he was 30, which he acknowledged as “exploitative”.
The comedian was charged with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault against four women in April 2025, for which he is currently awaiting trial. Fresh charges were brought against Brand in December 2025, accusing him of the rape and sexual assault of two separate women. Brand has denied all claims and pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was, was a rapist,” he stated. “I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes”.
He concluded: “I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that”.
Now, Brand has appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show to admit he had slept with a 16-year-old at age 30. “The plain fact of it is that in Europe and in the United Kingdom, where I’m from, the age of consent is 16,” he told host Megyn Kelly. “I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30, but when I was 30, I was a very different person,” he added. “I was a lot younger, and I was an immature 30-year-old.”
Russell Brand tells @MegynKelly about the allegations against him: “In Europe, and the UK where I’m from, the age of consent is 16. And I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30… Consensual sex, actually, with a variety of people, when there is a strong power differential,… pic.twitter.com/yJFCttlx4h
— The Megyn Kelly Show (@MegynKellyShow) April 22, 2026
He went on to say that “consensual sex with a variety of people when there is a strong power differential – because there is when you’re a famous man that has the ability to attract women that I had at that time – I think involves exploitation. I think it is exploitative.
“I recognize that my sexual conduct in the past was selfish and I did not apply enough consideration, barely any, I suppose, really, to how that sex was affecting other people.”
Brand is set to stand trial in October 12 at Southwark Crown Court. The trial, which was originally meant to start this June, was delayed in order to combine the December 2025 allegations against Brand.
According to Sky News, the trial is expected to last for around two months, after initially being scheduled for up to five weeks.
When news of Brand’s allegations broke in April, he released a statement on the same day, denying the claims made against him and commenting: “I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was, was a rapist,” he stated. “I’ve never engaged in non-consensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes”.
He concluded: “I’m now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that”.
For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit the Rape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.
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