Russell Brand Found Guilty of Rape and Three Sexual Assaults, Taken Into Custody
A jury at Southwark Crown Court delivered its verdict on November 5, 2026, convicting Brand of four sexual offenses against four women. He was acquitted of two additional rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Brand, best known to American audiences for Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek and his former marriage to Katy Perry, had denied all seven charges.
The convictions relate to incidents between 2004 and 2009, during the height of his career as a comedian, television presenter and radio personality.
Among the offenses was the rape of a 21-year-old fan Brand met following a 2009 performance at London's Hammersmith Apollo. The woman told the court she was assaulted at his London home.
Brand was also found guilty of sexually assaulting an MTV employee at a party in 2004, a radio station worker in 2005 and a woman working on a television production in 2009.
Prosecutors argued that Brand used his fame and charm to gain women's trust before exploiting them sexually. They described him as manipulative and accused him of treating women as disposable.
Brand admitted during the trial that he had previously lived a promiscuous lifestyle but insisted he had never forced anyone into sexual activity.
His defense argued that the allegations had been influenced by a 2023 television documentary and newspaper investigation into his conduct. His lawyers also questioned the reliability of accusations made many years after the alleged incidents.
The jury, made up of eight men and four women, deliberated for more than eight hours before returning unanimous verdicts.
Brand's wife, Laura, attended the proceedings and testified as a character witness in his defense. Brand told the court that the accusations had devastated his career, personal relationships and family life.
The criminal investigation began after a September 2023 joint investigation by Britain's The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4's Dispatches program published allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse involving the comedian.
London's Metropolitan Police subsequently launched an investigation, interviewing more than 100 witnesses, collecting over 400 witness statements and examining more than 1,400 documents.
Because the offenses occurred years earlier, detectives had to reconstruct events using historical photographs, building plans, recordings and witness accounts rather than relying on forensic evidence or surveillance footage.
Brand was initially charged in April 2025, with further charges brought that December.
Following Thursday's verdict, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy praised the women who came forward, acknowledging the years of scrutiny they had endured and the difficulties involved in reporting historical sexual offenses.
Police also confirmed that investigations into two separate rape allegations remain ongoing.
Judge Joel Bennathan refused Brand bail and ordered him into custody, warning that a significant prison sentence was inevitable following the rape conviction.
Brand is scheduled to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, November 9.
The verdict comes after a career that took Brand from British stand-up comedy and Hollywood movies to a successful online platform focused on politics, media criticism and religion.
In recent years, he relocated to Florida and built a large following through videos discussing political controversies, conspiracy theories and his Christian faith.
Brand has maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings. The jury's decision means he now stands convicted of four sexual offenses, while being cleared of the other three charges brought against him.
The length of his prison sentence will be determined Monday.
Sources:
Metropolitan Police: Official conviction statement
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