Russell Brand, the former actor and comedian, was convicted Wednesday on three counts of sexual assault and one count of rape in his London criminal trial. He was found not guilty of two other rape charges and a count of attempted indecent assault. Mr Justice Bennathan informed Brand that “obviously a custodial sentence of some length will result.” The judge also said it was unlikely he would extend the former comedian’s bail any further, telling him: “You’ve been convicted of a number of offences including one of rape… My current view is that I therefore have to remand you in custody not least because the temptation to avoid coming back to court to receive that sentence will be overwhelming.” The jury took three days to reach their verdict following a three-week trial.
His sentencing hearing will be held on Monday. Brand was accused of raping three women at various locations between 1999 and 2009. One of the alleged victims also accused him of sexual assault in addition to oral rape.
He was also accused of one count of attempted indecent assault at MTV’s U.K. offices in 2001 and one count of sexual assault in 2009. 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.
Brand got his start as a comedian on MTV in the U.K. before rising through the ranks of British media to host shows such as “Big Brother” spin-off ” Big Brother’s Big Mouth” on Channel 4 network E4 and his own radio show, “The Russell Brand Show” on BBC Radio 6. He then broke through in Hollywood after appearing in the 2007 comedy “St Trinian’s” starring Talulah Riley, Juno Temple and Colin Firth, set in a girls’ boarding school. Roles in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Get Him to the Greek” and “Rock of Ages.” He also voiced a recurring character in the “Despicable Me” franchise, Dr Nefario.
He eventually launched his own podcast and moved into influencing and politics via his YouTube channel. However his media empire came crashing down in 2023 when The Sunday Times of London and Channel 4 documentary series “Dispatches” published/broadcast a joint investigation into Brand’s allegedly predatory behaviour, in which five women accused Brand of sexual assault and misconduct.
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