By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Russell Brand told a London court he had a past obsession with sex but insisted consent was "non-negotiable" as he gave evidence in his rape and sexual assault trial.
Denial of 5,000 women goal
The 51-year-old former comedian denied setting a goal to sleep with 5,000 women, rejecting a claim by a former friend that he boasted of such an ambition during a car journey to the 1999 Labour party conference.
Cross-examination details
Under cross-examination by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC, Brand said he had never forced himself on a woman and blamed media coverage for his downfall. He also said he could not find friends or former colleagues willing to testify in his defence.
Allegations timeline
Brand faces charges involving six women between 1999 and 2009, including rape in a hotel room and sexual assaults at a bar, a radio station, and Channel 4. He denies all counts.
Phone records and book excerpt
The court heard Brand stored one accuser's phone number with the letter "T" for "tart", which he said denoted casual hookups. He also marked her name with two asterisks meaning "never forget this individual".
Bournemouth trip
Regarding the 1999 Bournemouth trip, Brand admitted he was more interested in sex than the Soapbox Cabaret performances. He denied pretending to be gay to gain access to a woman's hotel room, calling a passage in his book about acting gay to attract girls a joke.
2009 Apollo incident
On the 2009 Hammersmith Apollo allegation, Brand said he believed the encounter was consensual based on the woman's behavior during a backstage threesome. He acknowledged later messaging her about wanting to "push you further" and possibly apologizing after she said he treated her "like an animal".
At the start of his evidence, Brand repeatedly said "no" to each individual allegation. The trial continues.
