Russell Brand admits to sleeping with 16-year-old when he was 30

Russell Brand has admitted that he slept with a 16-year-old when he was 30.

During an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show, the British comedian noted that the age of consent in the United Kingdom is 16, but acknowledged that sleeping with someone so much younger than him was "exploitative".

"Thank you, Megyn Kelly, for giving me the grace to address, in particular, your anger, which is entirely legitimate and recognisable," he opened.

"And the plain fact of it is that in Europe and in the United Kingdom, where I'm from, the age of consent is 16, 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 continued, "Consensual sex, actually, with a variety of people when there is a strong power differential, I think, involves exploitation. I think it is exploitative. I recognise that my sexual conduct in the past was selfish and I did not apply enough consideration, barely any, I suppose, really, to how that sex was affecting other people."

In April 2025, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor was charged with rape, indecent assault and sexual assault relating to four separate women in alleged incidents that took place between 1999 and 2005. In December of that same year, a further rape and a sexual assault charge were brought against him relating to two other women in incidents that allegedly took place in 2009.

Brand has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

He was originally supposed to stand trial at London's Southwark Crown Court starting 16 June, but last month, it was pushed back to October.