Comedian and actor Russell Brand was convicted on Thursday of rape and sexual assault charges involving four women, a London jury found, and was told he faces a lengthy prison term.
The jury at Southwark Crown Court found Brand, 51, guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two other rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. Judge Joel Bennathan said he would be sentenced on Monday and faced a lengthy prison term, and refused bail because of the possibility Brand might flee. Brand was taken into custody.
The charges spanned the years 1999 to 2009, when Brand rose from performing stand-up in small venues to becoming a television presenter and Hollywood film star. Six women gave evidence during the four-week trial, and the jury of eight men and four women deliberated for more than eight hours over two days. Brand had denied all the charges.
Prosecutors said Brand, the former husband of U.S. pop singer Katy Perry, was obsessed with sex and used women to satisfy his own desires. The cases came to light after reporting by Channel 4's Dispatches and The Sunday Times in September 2023.
London's Metropolitan Police said Brand remains under investigation over rape allegations made by two other women, and that files on both cases have been sent to prosecutors. Police also released footage of interviews with Brand conducted during the investigation.
