A London jury found comedian Russell Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Thursday, after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. The 51-year-old was acquitted of two other rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Judge Joel Bennathan remanded Brand into custody and scheduled sentencing for Monday, November 9, telling him he faced a lengthy prison term. "Given the verdict on count six at least, obviously a custodial sentence of some length will result," the judge said, according to reports from the court.
The four offences the jury found proven involved four women and dated from between 2004 and 2009, prosecutors said. The rape conviction concerned a 2009 incident at Brand's former home in London. Brand had pleaded not guilty to all seven charges. The jury of four women and eight men deliberated for more than eight hours before delivering its verdict, according to The Associated Press.
London's Metropolitan Police said detectives began investigating Brand in 2023 after allegations against him were reported by Channel 4's Dispatches program and The Sunday Times. He was initially charged in April 2025. Police also disclosed that two further allegations of rape, separate from the charges decided by the jury, remain under investigation.
Brand was once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters and starred in several Hollywood movies. He is the former husband of U.S. pop singer Katy Perry. Prosecutors told jurors he was obsessed with sex and used women to satisfy his own desires. Brand denied all of the charges throughout the trial.
