Russell Brand convicted of rape, faces prison term next week

Russell Brand was convicted Thursday of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.

The 51-year-old British actor and comedian faces a prison sentence when he appears in court on Monday, Judge Joel Bennathan told reporters.

Brand was taken into custody immediately after the verdicts were read. He had previously been free but lost that status when the judge denied his request for bail.

The judge explained the decision by pointing to the risk that Brand might flee. He also noted the difficulty of the situation for the comedian's children.

I regret the hardship caused to the children, of course, Bennathan said. But the hardship has been caused by serious criminal offending by their father.

The jury at Southwark Crown Court spent more than eight hours over two days deliberating. The panel consisted of eight men and four women.

Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.

He closed his eyes as the jury read the guilty verdict on the rape charge. When bail was denied, he told his lawyers repeatedly that he was fine.

I'm good, I'm good, I'm good, he said before being led away by officers.

Prosecutors described Brand as a calculating predator during the trial. Riel Karmy-Jones, the lead prosecutor, argued that Brand viewed women as disposable commodities.

Karmy-Jones read an excerpt from Brand's 2007 memoir, My Booky Wook, to illustrate his mindset. In the passage, Brand wrote that he would remove anything in the way until he possessed the object of his desire.

Helen Berger, Brand's former personal assistant, testified against him. She described his behavior as an insane sexual appetite that was normalized by people around him. She said she eventually quit because she was sick of his bad behavior. Brand denied the charges. He told the jury that he had been obsessed with sex as a young man but had never forced anyone to do something against their will. He acknowledged using his fame for sex and said that was wrong. He claimed the case had consumed his life. My entire life has been consumed by these events, these allegations, these accusations, he said. Defense lawyers argued that the accusers waited years to report the incidents. They noted that the women came forward only after a 2023 investigation by The Times and Channel 4 aired. Brand was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman at a London bar in 2004. He was also found guilty of groping a woman at a radio station in 2004 or 2005 and raping a fan at his home in 2009. The final conviction involved a woman he assaulted during an advertisement recording in 2009. He was cleared of raping a woman in a hotel room in Bournemouth in 1999 and of dragging a woman into a bathroom at MTV in London. Police said they have shared their investigation into two additional rape allegations with prosecutors. Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said the conviction recognized the courage of the women who came forward. Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women, Furphy said. As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. Brand had built a large online following in recent years after moving to Florida. He shifted away from mainstream media to focus on wellness and religious topics. His wife, Laura, testified as a character witness. Brand said no other witnesses with relevant evidence were willing to testify for him.