Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault

British comedian and former broadcaster Russell Brand has been convicted of raping a fan and sexually assaulting three other women. A London judge remanded him in custody ahead of sentencing on Monday, 9 November. 

A jury at Southwark Crown Court unanimously found Brand, 51, guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Thursday, UK time. He was acquitted of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. Brand had pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. 

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What the jury found

The four convictions relate to offences committed between 2004 and 2009, as Brand’s career expanded from stand-up into television and film. The jury found he raped a fan at his London home in 2009. The three sexual assault convictions involved women who worked for MTV, Choice FM and Channel 4. 

After the verdicts, senior crown prosecutor David Roberts said, “Russell Brand was predatory and used his celebrity status to commit sexual crimes.” The four women are entitled to lifelong anonymity. 

Broadcasters respond to the verdicts

The Crown Prosecution Service said the women came forward independently after a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary aired in September 2023. The programme was part of a joint investigation with The Times and The Sunday Times. 

Channel 4 said, “We recognise the profound impact of these crimes and commend the extraordinary courage of all those who gave evidence as prosecution witnesses at trial.” The BBC reiterated its apology following a 2025 review of how it handled complaints about Brand’s conduct during his time at the broadcaster. 

The Metropolitan Police investigation remains open. Police have submitted files to the Crown Prosecution Service over two further rape allegations, separate from the charges decided on Thursday.