Russell Brand to learn sentence after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault

World

By 

Kate Bartlett

Comedian and actor Russell Brand leaves Southwark Crown Court in London, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Alastair Grant/AP hide caption

Comedian Russell Brand faces a "significant" prison sentence, which a London court judge is set to hand down on Monday.

On Thursday the one-time MTV host turned Christian and spiritual influencer was found guilty on three counts of sexual assault and one of rape, after a four-week trial that garnered massive media attention.

Brand had denied all charges and said he never had sex without consent.

Law

From comedian to convicted rapist: What to know about Russell Brand

After the jury handed down the verdict, Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand, 51, that he faced a "significant custodial term."

Danny Shaw, a crime commentator and former BBC correspondent, posted on X that while the maximum sentence for rape in the UK is life, 10 years is the average sentence, and Brand was likely to receive between four to 13 years of prison time.

The trial examined seven historic charges against Brand, brought forward by six different women. He was found guilty on four of the charges: for raping a woman who'd been to one of his comedy shows in 2009, and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009. The locations of the sexual assaults were a bar, radio station and TV studio. Brand was also found not guilty of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.

Brand's lawyer asked the judge on Thursday to grant his client bail so that he could spend the weekend with his three children, which the judge denied. Instead the one-time celebrity darling spent his first weekend in a prison cell in London.

He showed little emotion when the verdict was handed down, though his wife Laura — who has supported him throughout — quickly left the courtroom.

Many have called the verdict a significant milestone in the #MeToo movement, which has seen influential men held to account for using their power to abuse women.

Brand has also faced allegations of crimes in the United States. In 2023, a woman, named only as "Jane Doe," accused Brand of sexually assaulting her while she was working as a film extra during the making of the 2010 comedy movie "Arthur." That year, Brand married pop star Katy Perry, though the union lasted for just over a year before they divorced.

Addressing the media last week, London police detective Andy Furphy said that Brand had "used his influence, status and fame to prey on women — as his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement."

Camilla Long, a journalist for The Sunday Times — one of the first newspapers that investigated allegations of abuse against Brand — wrote in a column this weekend that "To sit in court 3 at Southwark crown court, hearing how Brand grabbed, pushed, groped and degraded his victims, was one of the most disgusting experiences of my life."

Long questioned how Brand got away with his behavior for so long, saying: "Never has a predator so loudly declared himself, yet been so roundly ignored."

NPR does not offer or accept money for coverage or interviews.
Anyone who makes such an offer or request is not an NPR employee and does not represent NPR.

Facebook

Flipboard

Email