Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault

Actor and comedian Russell Brand was found guilty of raping a woman in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women on Thursday at his trial in London. Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand will be sentenced to prison.

Brand, 51, was initially accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one charge of attempted indecent assault. On Thursday, he was acquitted of two rape counts and the attempted indecent assault charge.

“You’ve been convicted of a number of offences including rape,” Bennathan told Brand after reading Thursday’s verdict, according to CBS News partner BBC. “The consequence of that is inevitably a significant custodial term. My current view is that I therefore have to remand you into custody.”

The allegations, made by six women, spanned a 10-year period between 1999 and 2009. 

A jury of eight men and four women in Southwark Crown Court deliberated more than eight hours over two days. They found Brand guilty of grabbing a woman’s breasts during a party at a bar in London’s Soho neighborhood in the summer of 2004, sexually assaulting a woman at London radio station Choice FM in 2004 or 2005, and raping a woman at his home in Hampstead in 2009. 

During the trial, a prosecutor accused Brand of being a ruthless, calculating, manipulative “sexual predator.”

Brand, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, testified that he was obsessed with sex as a young man. He said he once led a promiscuous life but had never forced anyone to do something against their will, saying he thinks that “consent is absolutely non-negotiable.”

He said the criminal case had a devastating impact on his life and family.

“My entire life has been consumed by these events, these allegations, these accusations,” he said.

Brand’s lawyers argued that the alleged victims were undermined by the fact that they only went to police years after the alleged assaults, and following the broadcast of a 2023 documentary that contained anonymous allegations against Brand.

During the trial, Brand suggested the reports were part of a coordinated attack because of his newfound prominence as an online wellness influencer and political commentator. 

The women featured in the documentary said they only felt ready to share their stories after being approached by reporters, with some mentioning Brand’s online fame as a factor in their decision to speak.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London’s Metropolitan Police said the conviction was “a testament to the extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported what happened to them.”

“Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women,” he said. “As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be.”

Brand’s father, Ron Brand, told the BBC after the verdict and that he was “bemused and shocked.”

“I just didn’t expect this – it’s wrong,” he said. “It’s devastating.”

Known for risqué stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek” and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.