Russell Brand convicted of rape and sexual assault; sentencing set for Monday

Russell Brand was convicted on Thursday of rape and sexual assault charges involving four women, in a trial at Southwark Crown Court in London that dealt with allegations dating back more than 20 years.

The 51-year-old British comedian and actor was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.

Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand faces a "significant" prison term and set sentencing for Monday. He rejected a bail request, citing the possibility that Brand might flee, and Brand was taken into custody.

"I regret the hardship caused to the children, of course," the judge said. "But the hardship has been caused by serious criminal offending by their father."

Brand closed his eyes as the guilty verdict on the rape count was read, but otherwise showed no emotion. After bail was denied, he gestured to his lawyers that he was fine, repeating "I'm good, I'm good, I'm good" as he was led away.

What the jury decided

The jury of eight men and four women deliberated for more than eight hours over two days.

Brand was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman at a birthday party in a London bar in 2004, and cleared of orally raping her in a restroom. He was found guilty of kissing and groping another woman at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005, and of anally raping a fan he met backstage at one of his comedy shows in 2009.

The fourth conviction concerned a woman who said Brand demanded a massage and pressed his face into her groin during the recording of an advertisement in 2009.

He was acquitted of raping a woman in a hotel room during the Labour Party's annual conference in Bournemouth in 1999, and of attempting to indecently assault a woman at the London office of the music channel MTV.

Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones described Brand at trial as a ruthless, calculating and manipulative "sexual predator." Brand denied the charges, testifying that he was obsessed with sex as a young man and once led a promiscuous life, but had never forced anyone to do something against their will.

Reaction and background

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London's Metropolitan Police said the conviction reflected the courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward, and accused Brand of using his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women.

Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programmes 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. In recent years he moved to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and religious devotion.

His lawyers argued that the complainants were undermined by the fact they went to police years after the alleged assaults, following a 2023 documentary containing anonymous allegations. Brand testified that friends and colleagues had abandoned him, and said the case had consumed his life. His wife, Laura, appeared as a character witness; no one with relevant evidence was willing to testify on his behalf, Brand said.

The Associated Press does not name victims of alleged sexual violence, and British law protects their identities from the media for life.

Source: NPR News.