Russell Brand Found Guilty of Rape and Sexual Assault

Actor and comedian Russell Brand has been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, following a trial in London that lasted four weeks. Brand was found not guilty of two separate rape charges, as well as one count of attempted indecent assault.

Brand, once one of the most popular comedians in England and then a film star around the world in projects like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, cultivated a comic persona as a wild (and often controversial) provocateur. In recent years, he had reinvented himself as a conservative YouTuber and podcaster.

In 2023, Channel 4 aired the documentary Russell Brand: In Plain Sight detailing allegations of Brand’s mistreatment of women. The police launched an investigation shortly thereafter, which eventually led to this trial and conviction.

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London’s Metropolitan Police said their detectives “gathered evidence from more than 100 witnesses and reviewed thousands of documents as part of the investigation” and “praised the women who reported Brand for their courage, resilience and determination, while encouraging any other potential victims who have not yet spoken to police to come forward.”

“Brand's offending,” they added “was between 2004 and 2009 and included one rape and three sexual assaults committed against four women. The offences took place in different locations, including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address.” Brand had insisted on his innocence throughout the trial.

Brand will be sentenced on Monday, November 9. According to Variety, “in the U.K., a rape conviction can result in up to 19 years in prison and potentially even a life sentence, depending on the seriousness of the offense. The maximum sentence for sexual assault is 10 years.”