LONDON — LONDON (AP) – Russell Brand was sentenced Monday to 10 1/2 years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand he had shown “callous and arrogant disregard” for any woman not to say no to him in sentencing comments that put the crimes in context as he rose to stardom.
“About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous,” Bennathan said. “You were clever – and in many people’s eyes, funny and attractive. You were also a sexual predator.”
The 51-year-old comedian who was known for stand-up routines and outrageous behavior on television and radio broadcasts, along with drug and alcohol battles had maintained his innocence and all his incidents were consensual.
But a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of assaulting four of six defendants on charges dating back to 2004. Two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault were dismissed.
THIS IS A NEW RESULT UPDATE. Check back for updates. An earlier AP story continues below.
Russell Brand is facing Monday liability for sexual abuse that happened right off the stage in a public life built around boasting of his erotic exploits.
Brand, 51, could face a significant prison sentence after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
The British comedian known for his outrageous stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol has maintained his innocence and all of his incidents were consensual.
But a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of assaulting four of six defendants on charges dating back to 2004. Two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault were dismissed.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said Brand could face up to 15 years in prison on the rape count alone.
“Mr Brand abused the influence and power that came with his fame,” Karmy-Jones said. “He used it to give access to women without which the crime could not have happened. He also fed his own belief that he could commit crimes like this without permission.”
The brand was wearing a gray suit and an open collar shirt with a loose white tie. His long, gray hair was pulled back and knotted in a bun on top of his head. He held a crucifix in his right hand.
Defense attorney Ian Winter urged the judge to consider Brand’s good character, saying he only had one marijuana possession conviction from 1995 and that he had done charity work and helped others recover from drug and alcohol abuse.
Brand was supported at Southwark Crown Court by his wife, Laura, who entered the courthouse without him, and his father, Ron Brand. Russell Brand had been free during the trial but was jailed after Thursday’s verdict.
Two of Brand’s supporters held a banner showing his recent conversion to Christianity with crosses saying: “Russell Brand we stand with you. Christ was crucified to tell the truth. Russell is the truth.”
The prosecution came after a 2023 investigation by The Times and Channel 4 that uncovered accounts from women who said they had been sexually abused and degraded by Brand.
One of the women he found guilty of abuse spoke in court about the impact of the crime and the others gave statements which were read by the prosecutor.
A Brand woman has been convicted of a sexual assault at a birthday party in a London bar in 2004 saying the attack left her in shock and confusion and made her feel like “damaged goods”.
“For several years as his star was rising it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, singled out for his disgusting behavior towards women as if it was all a joke,” she said. “Many times I felt sick at the sight of him parading around thinking he can get away with anything.”
Brand stared straight ahead as she spoke out of sight, hidden from the public behind a curtain to preserve her identity.
A former fan convicted of raping her at his home after meeting her backstage at one of his comedy shows in 2009 said she was left feeling anxious and irritable and had trouble eating, sleeping and going through bouts of heavy drinking.
She said it took her years to speak up and she only came forward after the police opened an investigation following the documentary.
“I felt that if I reported it, I wouldn’t be believed,” she said in a statement read by Karmy-Jones. “His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance that made me feel powerless.”
Winter, the defense attorney, tried to play down the significance of the rape, saying Brand should have been “regarded as someone who went too far and exceeded the consent that was given” after consensual sex.
A woman he was found guilty of kissing and groping at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005 said it had a lasting impact on her life.
“Since the sexual assault … Russell Brand has moved on and even forgotten,” she said. “Over the years, hearing his voice on television, on social media or seeing his image made me jump.
The last conviction was for sexually assaulting another woman who said the comedian wanted a massage and pressed his face into her groin when an ad was recorded in 2009.
“It was only after the incident that I spoke up, and unfortunately it was brushed under the carpet by senior management,” she said. “There was a culture at the time that meant I felt I had to go on and not talk about it anymore, and that meant I didn’t give myself time to mourn it, put it up and push it aside.”
Brand was acquitted of raping another woman in a hotel room at the Labor Party’s annual conference in the seaside town of Bournemouth in 1999, and of attempting to accidentally assault a woman by dragging her into the men’s bathroom at the London office of music channel MTV.
The Associated Press does not name victims of sexual violence, and British law protects their identity from the media for life.
Brand, known for his challenging stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, rose to prominence in the early 2000s hosting television shows 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 has moved away from the mainstream media, moved to Florida and built a large online series with videos mixing cheer, conspiracy theories and discussions about his religious faith.