British actor and comedian Russell Brand, aged 51, was found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults this Thursday by the Southwark Crown Court in London. After four weeks of trial, the jury upheld four of the seven charges against the former British television star, also known for having been married to singer Katy Perry. Russell Brand was taken into custody following the verdict and will learn his sentence on Monday, November 9.
The acts for which he was found guilty were committed between 2004 and 2009, at a time when his career was rapidly rising in the UK and Hollywood. Six women testified during the trial. The actor, who denied all the accusations, was acquitted of two rape charges and one attempted indecent assault.
A rape committed in 2009 at Russell Brand’s home
The most serious charge concerns the rape of a young woman in 2009 at Russell Brand’s London residence in the Hampstead area. The victim had met the comedian after one of his shows at the Hammersmith Apollo, before going to his home a few days later.
In front of the jurors, she explained that an initially consensual sexual encounter escalated when Russell Brand forced anal penetration without her consent. The young woman also testified about the bleeding caused by the assault and stated that the actor then asked her to clean up the traces left at the scene. The jury accepted her version of events and found Russell Brand guilty of rape.
Three sexual assaults in bars and workplaces
The three other convictions concern sexual assaults committed against three different women. The first dates back to 2004, during an evening at a bar in the Soho district of London. Russell Brand was found guilty of grabbing a woman’s breasts without her consent.
A second assault occurred in 2004 or 2005 against an employee of the Choice FM radio station. The victim described an assault that took place at her workplace, in the presence of members of the comedian’s entourage.
The third case dates back to 2009 and involves a Channel 4 employee working on an audiovisual project. Russell Brand demanded she give him a massage before placing her head between his legs and his face against his intimate parts, in front of two of his colleagues. The jurors also found him guilty of these acts.
Three acquittals on the seven charges examined
Russell Brand was, however, acquitted of three other charges. The first concerned a rape reported in 1999 at a hotel in Bournemouth during a British Labour Party conference. The second involved an attempted indecent assault at MTV’s London offices in 2001.
The third acquittal concerned an oral rape accusation made by the same woman assaulted in the Soho bar in 2004. For this complainant, the jury upheld the sexual assault charge while dismissing the rape accusation.
During the hearings, Russell Brand admitted to having led a particularly active sex life but insisted he never forced a woman to have sexual relations. His defense also challenged the reliability of testimonies collected many years after the events.
Russell Brand admitted to using his fame to increase conquests
During his trial, Russell Brand made several statements about his past behavior. As he explained during his testimony on October 28 before the British court, he notably admitted: « I used my fame to facilitate access to sexual relationships. »
The former host also stated that « consent is fundamental, essential, necessary and, in many ways, more important than sex itself ». He acknowledged having had multiple affairs and infidelities while maintaining that his sexual relations were always consensual.
The case became public in September 2023 after the broadcast of an investigation by the Dispatches program on Channel 4. The London police then opened an investigation that led to a first indictment in April 2025, followed by new prosecutions in December of the same year.
The judge announces a heavy prison sentence and orders his incarceration
Upon the verdict announcement, Russell Brand remained motionless in the dock. His wife Laura, present in the courtroom, was visibly upset. The jury, composed of eight men and four women, deliberated for nine hours and thirteen minutes before delivering its decisions.
Judge Joel Bennathan immediately warned the actor of the seriousness of his situation: « You have been found guilty of several offenses, including rape. The consequence will inevitably be a significant prison sentence. » He then ordered his detention pending sentencing.
The investigation by the London Metropolitan Police involved more than 100 witnesses, over 400 statements, and required examination of more than 1,400 documents. Investigators notably reconstructed Russell Brand’s movements and professional activities at the time of the events.
The actor, who notably starred in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek and Arthur, a billionaire’s love, will be presented again before the Southwark Crown Court on Monday, November 9, to learn the length of his prison sentence.
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