Russell Brand, the former British comedian and actor, has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others.
Passing sentence on Monday at Southwark Crown Court in London, Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand had told a series of lies throughout the trial, adding that he had shown “casual and arrogant contempt” towards women who told him “no”.
“About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous,” Bennathan said. “You were smart – and in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator.”
He added: “Whatever women wear, wherever they go, and whatever they drink, they retain the right to say ‘no’ and demand justice from the criminal courts when sexual predators like you, Russell Brand, act without their consent.
Brand was supported in court by his wife, Laura Gallacher, and his father, Ron. He would have to serve at least two-thirds of that sentence, or about seven years, before he could be released.
Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on November 5. He was acquitted of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones called Brand a ruthless, calculating and manipulative “sexual predator” who treated women like “disposable merchandise.”
“Mr. Brand abused the influence and power that came from his fame,” Karmy-Jones said. “He used it to facilitate access to women, without which the offense could not have taken place. It also fueled his own view that he could commit such offenses with impunity.”
Before his sentencing, a woman, who was sexually assaulted by Brand in 2004 or 2005, told the court in her statement Monday: “Russell Brand is a sexual predator who has no remorse.”
Another woman, who was raped by the comedian in 2009 after meeting him at a comedy show in London, said she was “living with trauma”. She said her fame made it “difficult to escape the memories of what happened”, the BBC reported.
She said she feared after the attack that she was HIV positive, struggled to eat and sleep, took nearly three months off work and abandoned the career she had launched into. “Even though the rape took place 17 years ago, she still finds it affects her ability to form new friendships and know when she can trust people,” the judge said.
A third woman who was attacked by Brand while working on a Channel 4 documentary said that after the attack she felt like she had “lost my trust in people”. Reflecting on the incident, she added: “I felt helpless at that moment.”
Last week, Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News host, reacted to Brand’s conviction with disbelief.
“I don’t believe the accusations, and I’m not obligated to believe them just because a jury came to the opposite conclusion,” she said in a YouTube livestream.
The next day, in a comment on X, Elon Musk called Brand’s conviction for nearly 20-year-old offenses a “crazy legal standard.” England has no statute of limitations on rape or sexual assault.
Brand became a household name in the UK in the 2000s as a comedian and presenter and had well-documented problems with drugs and alcohol. He later starred in films Take it to Greek in 2010 and Arthur the following year.
He married singer Katy Perry in October 2010, but Brand filed for divorce in December 2011, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalized in July 2012.
The complaints against Brand were made by six different women, between 1999 and 2009. None of the women knew each other, but they came forward to police following a television documentary and newspaper articles in 2023, in which anonymous allegations had been made by other women.
Laura Brand, the wife of British actor and comedian Russell Brand, arrives at Southwark Crown Court on November 9.
(Reuters/Reuters)During the trial, the court heard tearful testimony from the six accusers, all of whom are entitled to anonymity for life.
According to the Associated Press, the convictions included a 2009 rape involving a woman who went to Brand’s home after meeting him at one of his shows. She said she had consensual sex, but that Brand then raped her and removed a condom.
Brand was also convicted of sexually assaulting a woman when he grabbed her breasts in a London bar in 2004.
He was also convicted of a 2009 incident in which he asked a woman to give him a massage in front of two of his colleagues and then put her head in his groin.
A third sexual assault complaint resulted in a guilty verdict when Brand was found guilty of pushing a woman who worked at a radio station against a wall and forcibly kissing her.
Brand denied the accusations and said he never forced anyone to do anything against their will.
Footage released by the London Metropolitan Police Service after the verdict shows Brand being questioned by police in December 2023.
“As I have stated publicly many times and written extensively, I led a very promiscuous life in the past, which I spent years openly denouncing,” Brand can be seen saying. “I have never had non-consensual sex.”
He said he “did not remember the names” of the complainants, or how they met, adding: “However, it is entirely possible that I met them and that we may have engaged in consensual sexual activity or physical contact which has since been reimagined.”
Following the verdict, the Metropolitan Police told Yahoo that Brand, 51, was facing further rape allegations from two women.
“The suspect has already been interviewed under caution in relation to the allegations,” the force said. The brand has not been charged in connection with these claims.
Met Police Chief Constable Mark Rowley urged any other victims of Brand to contact police. “We are looking into two other allegations of rape. We encourage anyone else to come forward if there are other allegations,” he told reporters on November 6.
He later said he “wouldn’t be surprised if many, many more came forward. … It shows that powerful people can be brought down, so you can safely come forward and we will support and try to bring that person to justice.”
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