London, United Kingdom: British comic and actor Russell Model appeared in a London courtroom on Friday to face 5 severe fees, together with rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault, stemming from alleged incidents that occurred between 1999 and 2005.
Model, 49, whose flamboyant rise to fame included a high-profile marriage to pop star Katy Perry and a transition from stand-up comedian to outspoken on-line commentator, was formally charged final month following a prolonged police investigation prompted by a 2023 Channel 4 documentary.
Wearing a darkish, open-neck shirt and denims, Model moved slowly via a swarm of reporters and onlookers exterior the courtroom. Inside, he spoke solely to substantiate his identify and handle earlier than being granted bail. The courtroom ordered him to return for a follow-up listening to on Could 30.
The fees embrace two counts of rape—one in Bournemouth in 1999 and one other in central London in 2004—in addition to two counts of sexual assault and one in all indecent assault. The 4 girls concerned allege the incidents occurred whereas Model was on the peak of his early fame as a provocative comedian and rising media persona.
In a video posted to his thousands and thousands of followers on X (previously Twitter), Model denied all allegations. “I used to be a idiot earlier than I lived within the gentle of the Lord,” he stated, acknowledging his historical past of drug and intercourse habit. “However what I by no means was was a rapist. I’ve by no means engaged in non-consensual exercise.”
The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that their investigation stays open and are encouraging anybody with additional data to come back ahead.
Born in Essex in 1975, Model rose from humble beginnings to change into a nationwide determine with roles in movie, tv, and radio. He hosted exhibits for the BBC and Channel 4, penned bestselling autobiographies, and finally reworked his picture into that of a religious and anti-establishment influencer. At the moment, he instructions an viewers of thousands and thousands throughout YouTube, X, and Instagram.
Model, who shares three kids along with his present spouse, writer and illustrator Laura Gallacher, divides his time between the US and Buckinghamshire, England.
The authorized proceedings mark a big second within the broader reckoning with sexual misconduct within the leisure business and have sparked fierce public debate about celeb accountability, consent, and the function of media in such instances.
