Brand Russella conviction in his trial has reportedly left his father, Ron Brandsurprised, as the comedian appeared to write as the jury delivered their verdict.
After six weeks of proceedings, the jury found the “Get Him To Greek” actor guilty of multiple sex crimes, bringing the closely watched trial to a close.
Brand had consistently denied all the allegations against him throughout the trial. He was also present to discuss the personal toll involved in the proceedings and how they affected his life.
Russell Brand’s father called his son’s guilty verdict “wrong”
When the jury announced their verdict, the “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” star sat in a dock that appeared to be locked, perhaps for the first time during the trial. His wife, Laura Brand, left the public gallery.
After the verdict, the court denied the comedian bail and arrested him.
As he left the dock, Brand appeared to express his feelings, saying, “I’m good, I’m good,” to his defense counsel and showed little emotion as he walked away.
However, his father, Ron Brand, made no secret of his disappointment at the outcome, describing himself as “stunned and shocked” by the conviction. “I didn’t expect this – it’s wrong,” Ron told the BBC.
Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The proceedings are due to begin on Monday at 10:30 GMT for sentencing.
Russell Brand accused of using fame to target women
Following the conviction, the Metropolitan Police issued a statement welcoming the outcome and describing it as a victory for justice.
According to The Blast, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy credited the women involved for their incredible bravery, praising them for coming forward despite the media attention the case received.
Addressing Brand’s alleged behaviour, Furphy accused the comedian of exploiting his influence to target women and commit sex crimes. He also suggested that Brand’s sense of “entitlement” had grown along with his public image.
Brand’s defense attorney argued that he wanted respect from women
While the police statement was critical of Brand’s behavior, his defense team appeared to paint a picture of Brand’s insanity as they presented their closing arguments.
As reported by The Blast, Ian Winter told the jurors that Brand had never refused to admit his past lifestyle. He argued that although some may be unhappy with his lifestyle, it was not a crime.
He also said it was not illegal to manipulate someone into having consensual sex. Winter urged the jury to consider that none of the women involved in the allegations had fought back, screamed or tried to flee
According to the lawyer, Brand was simply “seeking approval and adoration” from women and believed the incident was consensual.
Russell Brand opened up about Fallout amid his trial
Before closing arguments began, Brand took the stand to discuss the personal toll of the proceedings and explain why aspects of his testimony had changed.
During cross-examination by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC, Brand said the whole experience had a negative impact on his life.
“Since those events happened the memory has been growing. It has been a very difficult event in my life,” said Brand according to The Blast. He noted that it further affected the search for witnesses for his case.
Inside Prosecutors’ Testimony Against ‘Rock of Ages’ Actor
The prosecution called several witnesses to support their case, including a woman whose 2023 police statement was played to the jury.
Per The Blast, she said she met the 51-year-old TV host at a party and he grabbed her breast shortly after their introduction.
Describing what happened next as “strange, strange and shocking,” the woman said Brand took her to the toilets, where he sexually assaulted her.
Another witness was Mark Pinheiro, a former partner who said he knew of Brand’s pursuit of women.
Pinheiro told the court about a trip in 1999 he took the comedian to a conference, when Brand allegedly bragged about the number of women he had slept with. He also said that the TV personality had set himself a target of meeting more than 5,000 women.