Brand Russell's accuser argues he wanted to attack her when he tried to drag her into the toilet: 'The intention was there'

Russell Brand's second accuser has argued at his trial that there was "intent" to assault him when the presenter allegedly tried to drag him into a toilet at MTV's London offices 25 years ago. The accuser, who we'll call C2, said the brand went from being "kind, witty and friendly" to "suddenly turning into a […]

A second defendant, Russell Brand, has argued at his trial that there was "intent" to assault him when the presenter allegedly tried to drag him into a toilet at MTV's London offices 25 years ago.

The accuser, who we'll call C2, said Brand went from being "kind, witty and friendly" to "suddenly turning into a wild-eyed maniac and trying to drag me into the toilet."

He said he was working for MTV in London at the time and was showing the brand where the toilets were. When she showed him, C2 claimed Brand was "trying to drag me into the bathroom." RELATED STORIES Brand Russell Law Court: Woman claims she was raped by star after half-naked photos in hotel room.

C2 added: "I said, 'What are you doing?' are you angry 'Let me go,' and then he almost started begging, 'Go, go, come in.'" He gripped my arm tightly and pulled me back into the hallway. Watch on Deadline

After about 20 seconds, C2, who described herself as "physically stronger than the average woman," said she was able to "wrench herself away." He added that he subsequently told two of his colleagues, but not his employers because he was "scared" and thought "my word was against the employer."

Brand faces seven charges, including three counts of sexual assault, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges relate to accusations by six women spanning a decade from 1999 to 2009. Brand has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has consistently denied wrongdoing.

Under cross-examination by Brand's lawyer, Ian Winter, C2 was asked whether at the time he could really feel that Brand wanted satisfactory sex, and it was only after watching the 2023 documentary Russell Brand: In Plain Sight that he changed his mind.

C2 rejected this. "Why drag someone into a toilet if you're not going to attack them?" he added. "You don't kill somebody. You don't grab somebody and try to kill them. It's not a deal. That was the goal here. It could have been a lot different."

As they headed to the toilet before the incident, C2 said: "There was nothing romantically suggested, not one word." He added that although he was one of MTV's flagship hosts at the time, he never saw the brand again while working at the network.

She didn't come forward before seeing the documentary because "in 2001, it was my word against him," C2, adding, "I had a job to consider, [and] I got out of there relatively unscathed. He couldn't rape me, and I managed to get myself out of it. I just wanted to have a quiet life. I didn't need that."

Yesterday, a police interview was given to the court of complainant C1, who claimed that Brand assaulted her in his hotel room during the 1999 Labor conference in Bournemouth after posing for her. Half-naked photos of her appeared in a play on the sidelines of the conference at the time.

Today, a number of witnesses gave evidence in support of C1. John Rogers, who wrote a play in which Brand appeared at the labor conference, said the performer had told him he had "run into" a woman that week. According to Rogers, "Brand's reaction was a little weird" and "he was a little confused" when telling the story.

Andrew Dobson, one of Brand's family members at the Bournemouth conference, claimed Brand wanted to leave in a hurry the morning after the alleged attack. "He came in and suddenly there was an urgency," Dobson added. "It felt tense and confusing. I didn't understand why."

Dobson said that "sex was a big concern" for Forgetting star Sarah Marshall. Before he became famous, he described Brand as lively, selfish, lively, demanding, persuasive and erratic.

Two of C1's acquaintances also told the court through witness statements that he told them about his sexual assault after watching Brand's documentary in 2023.

One said C1 had told her she had previously been sexually assaulted by her husband "and felt like she was reliving it and completely froze during the alleged assault". The insider said C1 told him he was worried about backlash from his community if he reported the brand at that time.

Another said that C1 told him via WhatsApp after C1 had reported the brand to the police. Police told him he should only share information with "trusted people," the witness said in a pre-written statement.

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