Russell Brand's former assistant tells court about collecting female fans' phone numbers

At Southwark Crown Court, Russell Brand's former personal assistant Helen Berger said she was tasked with collecting female fans' phone numbers, described his abnormal sexual appetite and the normalisation of his behaviour in his circle. Brand denies all charges; the defence argues the contact was consensual.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 27 October 2026 at 03:062 min read

The key facts

Former assistant Helen Berger worked for Brand from June 2006 to February 2007 and said she was asked to collect female fans' phone numbers, which made her uncomfortable
Brand faces charges of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault; he denies the charges
The defence argues any contact was consensual and that testimony has been distorted following the 2023 documentary

Testimony of a former assistant

Russell Brand's former personal assistant Helen Berger told Southwark Crown Court that shortly after she began working for him she was tasked with collecting female fans' phone numbers for the performer. She said the request made her uncomfortable, and after consulting someone she told Brand she would no longer do it. This was reported by BBC News.

What Berger told the court

Berger worked for Brand from June 2006 to February 2007. In a written statement read out on Monday, she described his abnormal sexual appetite: she said he sought out random women via MySpace, slept with people day and night, and that women who were clearly there for sex were frequently at his home. She also recalled once finding a sleeping celebrity in Brand's bed while he wandered half-naked around the house. Berger added that sex often plunged Brand into depression, and that she had to leave the job because she grew tired of him. She said, however, that she personally saw nothing illegal, but that everyone normalised and ignored his behaviour, which made her feel such a situation was accepted.

The charges and the defence's position

Brand, 51, faces charges of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The allegations come from six women, and the period covered by the charges spans ten years, from 1999 to 2009. Brand denies all charges. His defence argues that any sexual contact was consensual and that testimony has been distorted following the 2023 documentary featuring allegations of sexual abuse. The prosecution is expected to conclude its case on Tuesday morning.

Context of the trial

Berger's testimony continues a series of court statements: according to the BBC, in previous days the court heard from women who said Brand treated her like an animal, that the alleged rape really did cause pain, and that during the alleged rape she closed her eyes and tried not to be there. The BBC also runs the podcast Russell Brand on Trial, available on BBC Sounds and other platforms.