A jury at Southwark Crown Court found comedian and actor Russell Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women, according to BBC and ABC7 New York reports. He was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand would be sentenced on Monday and he was taken into custody, ABC7 reported. [S1] [S2]
A prosecutor described Brand as a manipulative, predatory figure who used his celebrity status to commit sexual crimes, according to a Crown Prosecution Service statement cited by the BBC. Brand denied the charges and testified he had been promiscuous as a young man but had never forced anyone, ABC7 reported. [S1] [S2]
The BBC reports that the Metropolitan Police began investigating allegations against Brand in September 2023 after reporting by the Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4's Dispatches program; those allegations involved different women than the ones in the criminal trial. The BBC and Channel 4 each issued statements acknowledging the women who came forward, and the BBC referenced its own January 2025 report into past misconduct complaints against Brand from his time there between 2006 and 2008. [S1]
ABC7's report notes Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s as a stand-up comedian, radio host and actor, appeared in Hollywood films, and was briefly married to Katy Perry, before relocating to Florida in recent years and building an online following covering wellness, conspiracy theories and religious themes. [S2]
Article sources
- Russell Brand found guilty of rape and three sexual assaultsbbc.com
- Russell Brand has been convicted of rape and sexual assaultabc7ny.com · 2026-11-05
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