Russell Brand Convicted of Rape and Sexual Assault at Southwark Crown Court

Russell Brand was convicted Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026, of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault after a jury at Southwark Crown Court in London returned its verdicts. The Metropolitan Police and the Crown Prosecution Service said the offenses involved four women and took place between 2004 and 2009. Brand was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced Monday, Nov. 9.

The BBC reported that jurors also found Brand not guilty of two other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. The jury deliberated for about eight and a half hours, according to the BBC.

What were the verdicts?

According to the Metropolitan Police, Brand, 51, of Oxfordshire, was unanimously convicted of:

• One count of rape
• Three counts of sexual assault

The CPS said the offenses occurred as Brand’s career moved from stand-up comedy into television and acting. Locations linked to the case included a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand’s home address, the Met said.

The BBC detailed the guilty counts as follows: raping a fan after a 2009 Hammersmith Apollo stand-up show; groping an MTV worker at a Soho bar party in 2004; kissing and groping a Choice FM worker at the Capital Radio building in 2004 or 2005; and sexually assaulting a Channel 4 worker in 2009 after she was forced to give him a massage. He was cleared of raping a woman he met around the 1999 Labour Party conference fringe in Bournemouth, and of attempting to drag an MTV worker into a toilet to indecently assault her in 2001, the BBC reported.

Sentencing and custody

Judge Mr Justice Bennathan refused bail and remanded Brand into custody until sentencing, the BBC reported. The judge told Brand to expect “a significant custodial term” and said there were substantial grounds to fear he might not return to face sentence if released, according to the BBC. Brand’s wife, Laura Gallacher, was in court for the verdicts.

Sentencing is set for Monday, Nov. 9, at Southwark Crown Court, the Met and CPS confirmed.

How did the case begin?

Allegations involving Brand were reported in September 2023 by Channel 4’s Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times. The Met said detectives then set up a dedicated investigation team. Officers said they spoke to more than 100 witnesses, took more than 400 witness statements and reviewed more than 1,400 documents. Because the reports were non-recent, there was no CCTV or forensic evidence, the Met said; investigators instead built timelines and obtained historical floor plans and photos of relevant locations.

In police interviews, Brand repeatedly claimed he did not recognize the women involved, the Met said. As the case neared trial, prosecutors described his recollection as “selective memory,” according to the Met statement.

Senior Crown Prosecutor David Roberts said Brand “was predatory and used his celebrity status to commit sexual crimes,” adding that at the center of every assault was “an abuse of power and sexual greed.” Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Met said Brand “used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women” and urged anyone else who may have been a victim of rape or serious sexual assault to come forward.

Further police inquiries and publisher response

It can now be reported that Brand faces further rape allegations from two more women, the BBC said. The Metropolitan Police told the BBC its investigation into those complaints “remains ongoing.” Brand has already been questioned by officers about them, according to the BBC.

Separately, publisher Pan Macmillan said it is withdrawing Brand’s books from sale following the convictions, The Bookseller reported.

Who is Russell Brand?

Brand rose to fame as a stand-up comedian and TV and radio host in Britain, later appearing in Hollywood films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. He was married to singer Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012. In recent years he has worked as an online commentator. He denied the charges at trial and insisted any sexual activity was consensual, the BBC reported; his barrister told jurors that none of it was unlawful.

Channel 4, The Times, The Sunday Times and the BBC issued statements paying tribute to the women who came forward. The BBC restated an apology to staff who felt they could not raise concerns about Brand when he worked there between 2006 and 2008.

FAQ