By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press
LONDON (AP) — Russell Brand was sentenced Monday to 10 1/2 years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others during a period when his comedy career built around boasts of erotic exploits was taking off.
Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand that he showed a “casual and arrogant disregard” for women.
“About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous,” Bennathan said. “You were clever — and in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator.”
Brand showed little emotion during the hearing and turned to mouth the words “we’ll be OK” to his wife after he stood up and was led away by court officers.
The 51-year-old actor-comedian known for outrageous stand-up routines and behavior on television and radio broadcasts, along with drug and alcohol battles had asserted he was innocent and all his encounters were consensual.
But a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty of attacking four of six accusers on allegations dating back to 2004. He was cleared of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said Brand abused the influence and power that came with his fame.
“He used it to facilitate an access to women without which the offending could not have taken place. It also fed his own view that he could commit such offenses with impunity,” Karmy-Jones said.
Brand supported by wife, father and fans outside court
Brand wore a gray suit and open collar shirt with loose white tie. His long, graying hair was pulled back and knotted in a man bun atop his head. He clenched a crucifix in his right hand.
Defense lawyer Ian Winter urged the judge to consider Brand’s good character, saying he only had a marijuana possession conviction from 1995 and had performed charitable work and helped others overcome drug and alcohol abuse.
Brand was supported in Southwark Crown Court by his wife, Laura, who entered the courthouse without him, and his father, Ron Brand. Russell Brand had been free during the trial but was jailed following Thursday’s verdict.
A couple of Brand’s supporters who reflected his recent conversion to Christianity held a banner with crosses that said: “Russell Brand we stand with you. Christ was crucified for telling the truth. Russell is the truth.”
Victims tell court it was difficult to see Brand celebrated in public
The accusers came forward following a 2023 investigation by The Times and Channel 4 that aired accounts from women who said they had been sexually abused and degraded by Brand.
One of the women he was convicted of abusing spoke in court about the impact of the crime and the others provided statements read by the prosecutor.
A woman Brand was convicted of sexually assaulting during a birthday party at a London bar in 2004 said that the assault left her in shock and turmoil and made her feel like “damaged goods.”
“For many years as his star was rising it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, being celebrated for his disgusting behavior against women like it was all a joke,” she said. “There were many times I felt visibly sick at the sight of him parading around thinking he can get away with anything.”
Brand stared straight ahead as she spoke out of view, hidden from the public behind a curtain to preserve her identity.
Rape victim felt ‘powerless’
A former fan he was convicted of anally raping at his home after meeting her backstage at one of his comedy shows in 2009 said that she was left feeling anxious and humiliated and had difficulty eating, sleeping and went through periods of heavy drinking.
She said it took years for her to speak up and only came forward after police opened an investigation following the documentary.
“I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed,” she said in the statement read by Karmy-Jones. “His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.”
Winter, the defense lawyer, tried to minimize the significance of the rape, saying Brand should be “regarded as a man who went too far and overrode consent that had been given” following consensual sex.
A woman he was convicted of kissing and groping at a London radio station in 2004 or 2005 said it had a lasting impact on her life.
“Since the sexual assault … Russell Brand has managed to move on and even forget,” she said. “Over the years, hearing his voice on television, on social media or seeing his image made me jump.”
‘Culture at the time’ silenced woman
The final conviction was for sexually assaulting a different woman who said the comedian demanded a massage and pressed his face into her groin during the recording of an advertisement in 2009.
“Immediately after the incident I spoke up, and sadly it was brushed under the carpet by senior management,” she said. “There was a culture at the time which meant I felt I had to just carry on and not talk about it anymore, which meant I did not give myself time to lament on it, boxed it up and pushed it aside.”
Brand was acquitted of raping another woman in a hotel room during the Labour Party’s annual conference in the seaside town of Bournemouth in 1999, and of attempting to indecently assault a woman by dragging her into the men’s bathroom at the London office of music channel MTV.
The Associated Press doesn’t name victims of alleged sexual violence, and British law protects their identities from the media for life.
Brand, who was known for edgy stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, rose to prominence in the early 2000s hosting television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek” and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.
In recent years he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion.