Russell Brand’s trial on charges of rape and sexual assault began this week in a London courthouse. Despite the legal proceedings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his associates in the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement have continued to express support for the comedian and actor. Tony Lyons, who leads the MAHA political action committee, attended the court for jury selection.
The case follows charges authorized by British prosecutors in April 2025 and December 2025. The allegations involve six women and date back to incidents reported between 1999 and 2009. Brand has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault, stating that his sexual encounters were consensual. Under U.K. law, the identities of the accusers are protected by lifelong anonymity.
Brand has remained active in MAHA advocacy, appearing at a summit in Washington two weeks ago alongside Kennedy and Mehmet Oz. During a Wednesday conference call for movement activists, Lyons introduced Brand as a victim of "persecution" and "censorship." Brand told participants he believes in "truth, justice and redemption" as a follower of Christianity.
The public support from U.S. health officials, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mehmet Oz, links a significant policy movement to a defendant in a criminal trial. Kennedy, the health secretary, and Oz, who manages the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have appeared in promotional photos and panels with Brand. This association brings federal health leadership into the orbit of a foreign criminal proceeding involving allegations of "ruthless" sexual predation, as described by U.K. prosecutors.
The trial is expected to last six weeks, during which the London jury will hear testimony from the accusers, including one who reported fearing she was pregnant following an alleged 1999 assault. The court will also consider Brand’s defense that he is being targeted for his views. A final verdict is not expected until the conclusion of the six-week period. In the interim, MAHA organizers continue to promote Brand’s recent book through Skyhorse Publishing, despite Lyons' claims that the work is being suppressed by booksellers.