Russell Brand convicted of rape and sexual assault at London court

Russell Brand has been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court. The 51-year-old was taken into custody after the verdict, and sentencing is scheduled for Monday.

Brand was acquitted of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. The charges covered incidents between 1999 and 2009, and the court heard testimony from six complainants, all entitled to lifelong anonymity under British law. Judge Joel Bennathan indicated Brand faces a significant prison sentence. The trial lasted three weeks, and the jury deliberated more than eight hours over two days before reaching its verdicts.

The convicted offenses

Brand was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman at a London bar in 2004, and of sexually assaulting a woman at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005. He was also convicted of anally raping a fan he met backstage at a comedy show in 2009, and of sexually assaulting a woman during a promotional project in 2009. Brand was cleared of orally raping the woman from the bar incident. The four convictions involved four separate women whose allegations spanned the decade in which Brand rose from small-venue stand-up to television stardom and Hollywood film roles.

The acquittals and the defense

Brand was acquitted of raping a woman in a hotel room during the Labour Party’s annual conference in Bournemouth in 1999. He was also acquitted of attempting to indecently assault a woman by dragging her into the men’s bathroom at the London office of music channel MTV. Brand denied the allegations and maintained the encounters were consensual. His lawyers argued the alleged victims were undermined by going to police years after the alleged assaults and following a 2023 documentary. Brand testified he was obsessed with sex as a young man but never forced anyone.

How the case began

The women came forward to police following a 2023 television documentary and press reports containing anonymous allegations against Brand. The Metropolitan Police launched a three-year inquiry in September 2023, two days after five women accused Brand in a joint Channel 4 Dispatches and Times investigation. Prosecutors described Brand as a ruthless sexual predator. The prosecutor was Riel Karmy-Jones.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London’s Metropolitan Police said the conviction reflected the extraordinary courage of the women who came forward. “Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women,” Furphy said. “As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement.”

From comedian to Christian influencer

Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including Get Him to the Greek and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry. In recent years he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida, and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and religious devotion. Brand now positions himself as a Christian influencer and has been public about his faith. His wife, Laura, testified as a character witness in his defense. Brand is a father of three.

Brand closed his eyes as the guilty verdict on the rape count was read. Judge Bennathan rejected a bail request because of the possibility Brand might flee. Brand said “I’m good, I’m good, I’m good” before being taken away. He wore crucifixes and handled prayer beads during the trial.