Russell Brand is convicted of rape, and judge says he'll get a prison
term
[November 06, 2026]
By BRIAN MELLEY and JILL LAWLESS
LONDON (AP) — Russell Brand, the risqué comic who bragged for years of
his sexual exploits, was convicted Thursday of raping one woman and
sexually assaulting three others on allegations dating back years.
The British actor-comedian faces a “significant” prison term when he is
sentenced Monday, Judge Joel Bennathan said. Brand had been free, but he
was taken into custody after the judge rejected a bail request to let
him see his kids because of the possibility he might flee.
“I regret the hardship caused to the children, of course,” the judge
said. “But the hardship has been caused by serious criminal offending by
their father.”
Brand was a ruthless, calculating, manipulative “sexual predator,"
prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said at trial.
The 51-year-old father of three denied the charges and testified that he
was obsessed with sex as a young man and once led a promiscuous life but
had never forced anyone to do something against their will.
Brand shows no emotion and tells lawyers ‘I’m good'
He was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual
assault. He was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted
indecent assault.
Brand closed his eyes as the guilty verdict on the rape count was read
but showed no emotion otherwise. When bail was denied, he gestured to
his lawyers that he was OK and repeatedly said, “I’m good, I’m good, I’m
good," before being taken away.
The jury of eight men and four women in Southwark Crown Court
deliberated more than eight hours over two days.
After the verdicts, police confirmed they have provided prosecutors with
their investigation into two more rape allegations against Brand.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London’s Metropolitan Police
said the conviction was “a testament to the extraordinary courage,
resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported
what happened to them.”
“Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually
offend against women,” he said. “As his profile grew, so too did his
sense of entitlement.”
Brand's evolution from bad boy to born again
Known for edgy stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol,
Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programs
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 mainstream media, relocated to
Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness,
conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion.
The accusers came forward following a 2023 investigation by The Times
and Channel 4 that aired accusations from women who said they had been
sexually abused and degraded by Brand.
Allegations of assaults in toilets, bedrooms and workplaces
Brand was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman during a birthday
party at a London bar in 2004, but cleared of orally raping her in a
restroom.
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Comedian and actor Russell Brand, accompanied by his wife Laura
Brand, arrives at Southwark Crown Court in London, Thursday, Nov. 5,
2026, where he has been convicted of rape and sexual assault charges
on allegations dating back more than 20 years.(AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
 He was also found guilty of kissing
and groping another woman at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005
and of anally raping a fan at his home after meeting her backstage
at one of his comedy shows in 2009.
The final conviction was for sexually assaulting a different woman
who says the comedian demanded a massage and pressed his face into
her groin during the recording of an advertisement in 2009.
Brand was acquitted of raping another woman in a hotel room during
the Labour Party’s annual conference in the seaside town of
Bournemouth in 1999, and of attempting to indecently assault a woman
by dragging her into the men’s bathroom at the London office of
music channel MTV.
The Associated Press doesn’t name victims of alleged sexual
violence, and British law protects their identities from the media
for life.
Prosecutor Karmy-Jones told jurors that women were a “disposable
commodity” to Brand and she used his own words to illustrate his sex
drive.
“If I want something – whether it’s a job or a woman – I will
determinedly, resolutely, remove anything that’s in the way, until I
possess the object of my desire," he wrote in an excerpt from “My
Booky Wook,” his 2007 memoir, read in court.
Brand's former personal assistant Helen Berger testified against
him, saying he had an “insane sexual appetite” and treated women
poorly. She said his “bad behavior” was normalized by those around
him and she eventually got “sick of him” and quit.
Brand rejected testimony by a former roommate who said he wanted to
have sex with 5,000 women. But he acknowledged he had used his fame
to have sex, which he said was wrong.
Brand told jurors that the criminal case had a devastating impact on
his life and family.
“My entire life has been consumed by these events, these
allegations, these accusations,” he said.
Brand’s lawyers argued that the alleged victims were undermined by
the fact that they only went to police years after the alleged
assaults and following the anonymous allegations against Brand in
the Channel 4 documentary.
Brand testified that showbiz friends and colleagues had abandoned
him.
His wife, Laura, who accompanied him to court, testified as a
character witness in his defense, but no one with relevant evidence
was willing to give evidence on his behalf, Brand said.
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