British comedian Russell Brand has admitted to sleeping with a 16-year-old girl when he was 30, during an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show this week. Brand, who faces multiple charges of rape and sexual assault in the United Kingdom, acknowledged the encounter but noted that the age of consent in the UK is 16.
Brand's Admission and Justification
“The plain fact of it is that in Europe and in the United Kingdom, where I’m from, the age of consent is 16,” Brand said. “And I did sleep with a 16-year-old when I was 30. But when I was 30, I was a very different person. I was a lot younger, and I was an immature 30-year-old.”
Brand, who was once married to pop star Katy Perry, has pleaded not guilty to sexual assault charges in the UK involving multiple women. Last April, the Associated Press reported that Brand had been charged with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault. Prosecutors allege these offences, involving four women, took place between 1999 and 2005 — one in Bournemouth and three in London. In December, he was hit with new counts of rape and sexual assault for incidents allegedly occurring in 2009. Brand has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Reflections on Past Behavior
Speaking to Kelly, the Get Him To The Greek star described his sexual conduct as a young man as “selfish” and acknowledged a power imbalance due to his fame, even though the sex was consensual. “I think (it) involves exploitation. It is exploitative,” he said. “I recognize that my sexual conduct in the past was selfish. I did not apply enough consideration, barely any I suppose … to how that sex was affecting other people.”
When the first set of allegations emerged, Brand maintained his innocence, stating on social media: “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 is a rapist. I’ve never engaged in nonconsensual activity.” He added that the allegations pertain to his time in the mainstream media and film industry, during which he was “very, very promiscuous” but insisted all relationships were consensual and transparent.
Political Commentary and Criticism
After retreating from Hollywood, Brand became more politically outspoken, sharing his views on his popular YouTube channel. He has also publicly criticized Perry’s relationship with Justin Trudeau. “Look, Katy Perry, I was married to her. I love her still, and I’m glad that her mom’s in the room to hear me say this, but look. I was okay with Orlando Bloom, but Justin Trudeau? Come on, man! Don’t put me in a category with that guy! That globalist stooge,” Brand said at a Turning Point USA event in December 2025.
In a 2022 YouTube video, Brand accused Trudeau of being an authoritarian and a hypocrite for his reaction to the Freedom Convoy and his criticism of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “You can criticize Russia for many, many reasons, you can condemn the actions of Russia, quite rightly, for many reasons. What you can’t do is claim to be an exemplar of democracy if whenever you get the opportunity to be tyrannical, you take it,” he said.
