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Actor and comedian Russell Brand was found guilty of raping a woman in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women on Thursday. Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand will be sentenced to prison.
Brand, 51, was initially charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. On Thursday, he was acquitted of two counts of rape and attempted indecent assault.
“You have been convicted of a number of crimes including rape,” Bennathan told Brand after reading Thursday’s verdict, according to CBS News partner BBC. “It is inevitable that the result will be a long term of custody. My current opinion is that I will have to arrest you.”
The allegations, made by six women, span 10 years between 1999 and 2009. A jury of eight men and four women at Southwark Crown Court deliberated for more than eight hours over two days.
During the trial, a prosecutor accused Brand of being a ruthless, calculating and manipulative “sexual predator”.
Brand, who he pleaded not guilty to the charges, he confirmed that he was sexually obsessed as a young man. He said that he once led a promising life but that he had never forced anyone to do something against their will, saying that he believed that “consent is completely irreconcilable.”
He said the criminal case had a terrible impact on his life and his family.
“My whole life has been consumed by these events, these accusations, these accusations,” he said.
Brand’s lawyers argued that the alleged victims were undermined because they only went to police years after the alleged assaults, and after the airing of a 2023 documentary containing anonymous allegations against Brand.
During the trial, Brand suggested the reports were part of a coordinated attack because of his prominence as an online influencer and political commentator.
The women featured in the documentary said they only felt ready to share their stories after being approached by reporters, with some citing Brand’s online reputation as a factor in their decision to speak out.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
