Fame Under Fire: Russell Brand on Trial

Recorded at the 2026 Crossed Wires festival Anoushka and resident trial attorney Shaun Kent explore how social media is transforming the courtroom.

They discuss the growing influence of social media on juries, lawyers, and public opinion, and answer questions from the audience.

Fame Under Fire's resident trial attorney Shaun Kent is in the UK!

He joins Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty in the London studio to discuss one of the biggest shifts taking place in the legal world: the growing influence of social media on criminal trials. From celebrity cases to viral courtroom moments, they explore how online audiences are changing the way lawyers, juries and the public engage with the justice system.

Shaun talks about becoming the subject of global online attention during one of his own recent murder trials, and how social media affected both the courtroom and his personal life.

Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty

Your comments and questions following our exclusive interview with the actress Jen Ann, who accuses Kanye West of sexually assaulting her.

She filed a civil lawsuit in 2024. Kanye’s lawyers don't deny it happened, but they say it was art and that Jen consented to it.

Our resident trial attorney Shaun Kent and Anoushka answer your questions - from why Jen Ann could file after 14 years, to why Kanye's team is questioning if he even knew Jen was a woman.

Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty

The timetable in the criminal case against D4vd has changed following the latest court hearing.

David Anthony Burke has pleaded not guilty to all charges relating to the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez. The preliminary hearing, where prosecutors seek to establish probable cause, has been delayed.

The hearing is also expected to include witness scheduling, meaning testimony could form part of the proceedings before any trial begins. The delay pushes back the wider court process while prosecutors and defence lawyers continue preparing their cases.

Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty

Jennifer An, a former contestant on America’s Next Top Model, alleges Kanye West, now known as Ye, assaulted her during filming for a La Roux music video in New York in 2010. She is now suing the rapper.

An alleged sex tape linked to Sean “Diddy” Combs spread rapidly online as Diddy’s lawyers appeal his sentence.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is asking the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan to overturn prostitution-related convictions, reduce his sentence or order his immediate release from prison.

Defence lawyers argue the jury acquitted him of the most serious allegations, while prosecutors continue to point to evidence of violence and coercion presented during the trial.

Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and Shaun Kent discuss questions around leaked evidence, intimate recordings and the judge’s remarks at sentencing.

Got questions? Send us a Whatsapp message on 0330 678 111 4.

Details of help and support in the UK with sexual, or domestic abuse is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline

Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty

Missed some of the biggest celebrity legal stories? A catch-up takes in Drake v UMG, with questions around rap, art and the First Amendment, and a refresher on the D4vd trial. D4vd has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty

Drake's lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us was dismissed, but the legal battle is continuing after Drake appealed the ruling.

New amicus briefs have brought more voices into the dispute, with arguments around artistic expression, rap music in courtrooms and First Amendment protections.

Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty

D4vd returned to court for a status hearing amid discovery delays and the huge volume of evidence in the case.

The singer, whose real name is David Anthony Burke, faces charges including murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, and unlawful dismemberment of human remains. The preliminary hearing has now been delayed until 29 June.

D4vd has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty

A delayed preliminary hearing in the case against D4vd brings new scrutiny after prosecutors publicly filed a briefing document laying out their allegations.

The filing includes claims relating to grooming, text messages, digital evidence, travel records and purchases prosecutors say connect to the death of Celeste Rivas Hernandez.

D4vd has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Host: Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty