Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after a London jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault against four women, offences dating back roughly two decades. He was acquitted of the two remaining rape charges.
What a brutal shock-to-the-system twist for Brand who had incidents from 2004 and 2009 turned into actual charges in 2023 after a Channel 4 investigative report.
The 51-year-old actor will serve two-thirds of the term in custody before being released on licence. In his sentencing remarks, Judge Bennathan described Brand as a "sexual predator" who had told "a series of lies" during his own testimony. Brand pleaded not guilty to all charges and has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The allegations first became public in September 2023 through a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4's current affairs programme Dispatches. The Metropolitan Police opened its own inquiry soon after, and Brand was formally charged in April 2025.
It gets worse for Brand. After the verdict, it was reported that police are now investigating rape allegations against the actor made by two further women. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said that investigation "remains ongoing.”
Brand is a UK stand-up comedian who broke into a Hollywood career in the late 2000s and early 2010s. His breakout screen role was rock star Aldous Snow in Judd Apatow-produced comedy “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” a character he reprised as the lead of “Get Him to the Greek.” He also became a recurring voice in Illumination's ‘Despicable Me’ franchise as Dr. Nefario.
Brand broke into a Hollywood career in the late 2000s. His breakout screen role was rock star Aldous Snow in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” a character he reprised as the lead of “Get Him to the Greek.”