Russell Brand’s former personal assistant told Southwark Crown Court she saw the comedian treat women poorly and left her job after becoming “sick of him” and burned out.
Helen Berger worked for Brand between June 2006 and February 2007, when he was appearing on MTV, Channel 4 and the BBC, writing a book and performing stand-up shows to sell-out crowds.
In a statement read to the court, Ms Berger said Brand had “an insane sexual appetite” and used MySpace to find women for sex. She said women frequently visited his home in Camden, north London, and that it was clear they were there for sex.
“Though I’ve worked with a lot of celebrities before and seen a lot of people normalising bad behaviour, this was on another level,” she said.
Ms Berger said Brand’s behaviour was often accepted or dismissed by people around him, leading her to think: “this is just the way it is here”. She also said he appeared depressed after sex.
She recalled Brand becoming impatient while working to deadlines and joking: “May I go and have sex now?” She described him as being “like a peacock”, adding that women would often approach him.
Ms Berger told jurors she was once instructed to obtain telephone numbers from female fans. After seeking advice, she said she told Brand she would no longer do so because she felt uncomfortable.
She also described an interview Brand conducted with actress Sadie Frost while wearing only his underwear and an open robe. On another occasion, she said she found a female celebrity asleep in his bed while Brand walked around the house half-dressed.
Ms Berger said Brand abruptly lost interest in a woman at a party after discovering she was in a relationship. “He literally switched off his charm and moved on to the next woman,” she said.
She worked for Brand through his agent John Noel and said she was often called to the comedian’s flat. “I worked a lot and was exhausted, emotional and it was a lot to deal with,” she said. “I always had to manage my emotions around him.”
Brand is accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. He denies all the charges.
The judge told jurors that the prosecution case was nearing its end, with the defence case due to begin on Tuesday lunchtime. The trial continues.
