Russell Brand sentenced to 10 years, 6 months for rape and sexual assault

Russell Brand, the comedian and actor who built a career on raucous stand-up and films including "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek," was sentenced this week to 10 years and six months in prison. A judge at Southwark Crown Court handed down the term after a jury convicted Brand, 51, of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women, following a four-week trial, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

The offenses took place between 2004 and 2009, during the period when Brand rose to fame in Britain as a radio and television host before moving into Hollywood films. The four women did not know each other and have lifelong legal anonymity, according to the Crown Prosecution Service. Jurors convicted Brand of one rape count and three sexual assault counts while clearing him of two further rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. He will be registered as a sex offender for life and must serve two-thirds of his sentence before he can be released on licence.

A "manipulative sexual predator"

David Roberts, a senior Crown Prosecutor in the CPS's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit, said the evidence showed Brand to be "a manipulative sexual predator" who used his fame and status to pursue women regardless of their wishes, and that the verdict showed fame, status and the passage of time do not change the central legal question of consent. Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who led the Metropolitan Police investigation, said the case "was never about Russell Brand's profile, status or celebrity" and credited the women's bravery in coming forward. The judge's published sentencing remarks set out the court's reasoning in full. Brand has denied all the allegations and says he never engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity, Variety reported.

The prosecution followed a 2023 joint investigation by the Sunday Times, the Times and Channel 4's "Dispatches," whose reporting first aired allegations against Brand from multiple women and prompted the Metropolitan Police to open a formal inquiry. The Metropolitan Police said detectives are continuing to investigate further allegations against Brand.