Brand Sentenced Monday After Guilty Verdict
Judge denies bail, leaving the 51-year-old comedian to serve his first weekend in a London prison cell.
By Kaito Sokolov ·
Russell Brand was found guilty on four criminal counts earlier this week in London, triggering a sentencing hearing scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9.
On Thursday, a jury at Southwark Crown Court returned guilty verdicts on three counts of sexual assault and one count of rape following a four-week trial. The comedian, 51, had denied all charges, maintaining that he never engaged in sexual activity without consent.
The trial examined seven historic charges brought by six women. The court found Brand guilty of raping a woman after a 2009 comedy show and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009. Those assaults occurred at a bar, a radio station, and a television studio. The jury acquitted him on two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand on Thursday that he faces a significant custodial term. Crime commentator Danny Shaw noted on X that while the maximum sentence for rape in the UK is life, the average is 10 years. Shaw estimated Brand is likely to receive a prison term between four and 13 years.
Brand’s legal team requested bail on Thursday to allow the comedian to spend the weekend with his three children. Judge Bennathan denied the motion, leaving Brand to spend his first weekend in a prison cell in London. He displayed little emotion when the verdict was read, while his wife Laura left the courtroom quickly after supporting him throughout the proceedings.
London police detective Andy Furphy addressed the media last week, stating that Brand used his influence, status, and fame to prey on women. Furphy added that as Brand’s profile grew, his sense of entitlement increased. Camilla Long of The Sunday Times, who helped investigate the allegations, wrote that hearing how Brand grabbed and degraded his victims was one of the most disgusting experiences of her life.
Brand also faces allegations in the United States. In 2023, a woman identified as Jane Doe accused him of sexually assaulting her while she worked as a film extra on the 2010 movie Arthur. Brand married pop star Katy Perry that same year, but the couple divorced after just over a year of marriage.
