LONDON.- British comedian and actor Russell Brand was found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault by a jury at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, November 5, 2026, and was told he faces a prison sentence. The 51-year-old was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on Monday, November 9, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.
The verdicts came at the end of a four-week trial that began on October 12. The jury of eight men and four women reached unanimous verdicts after around eight and a half hours of deliberation, CNN reported.
The verdicts in full
Brand faced seven charges involving six women, over alleged incidents spanning 1999 to 2009. He pleaded not guilty to all of them. The jury convicted him on four counts and cleared him on three, Reuters reported:
- Guilty — one count of rape: the rape of a 21-year-old fan Brand met after one of his stand-up shows at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009.
- Guilty — three counts of sexual assault: groping an MTV worker at a party in a Soho bar in 2004; sexually assaulting a Capital Radio worker after encountering her in a corridor in 2004 or 2005; and sexually assaulting a Channel 4 worker during a forced massage in 2009.
- Not guilty — two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The Metropolitan Police said Brand's offending took place between 2004 and 2009 and was committed against four women, in locations including a radio station, the set of a DVD recording and Brand's home address. The women are entitled to lifelong anonymity under British law and have not been named.
What the judge said
Mr Justice Bennathan, who presided over the trial, told Brand as the verdicts were delivered: "You've been convicted of a number of offences including rape. The consequence of that is inevitably a significant custodial term." He refused Brand bail and sent him to prison to await sentencing on Monday, Reuters reported.
In England and Wales, a rape conviction carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with sentences typically ranging from four to 19 years; sexual assault convictions can result in up to 10 years in prison, USA Today reported. The judge gave no indication of the term he has in mind.
The case against him
Prosecutors described Brand, who starred in the films "Get Him to the Greek" and "Arthur" and was once one of Britain's most high-profile broadcasters, as a ruthless sexual predator, Reuters reported. Brand denied the accusations, saying the incidents had either been consensual, reinvented or re-imagined. He took the witness stand during the trial and denied every one of the seven charges.
The offences dated from the years in which Brand rose from performing stand-up comedy in small venues to becoming a television presenter and Hollywood film star. He is the former husband of US singer Katy Perry.
How the case began
The Metropolitan Police began investigating after allegations involving Brand were reported by Channel 4's Dispatches programme, The Times and The Sunday Times in September 2023. Detectives traced and spoke to more than 100 witnesses, took more than 400 witness statements and reviewed over 1,400 documents, the force said.
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, from the Metropolitan Police Service, said after the verdicts: "Today's verdict is first and foremost a testament to the extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported what happened to them. Despite intense media and public scrutiny, they relived deeply personal and traumatic experiences and placed their trust in us. Without their bravery, this outcome would not have been possible."
Furphy added: "Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women. As his profile grew, so too did his sense of entitlement. I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be."
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised two additional charges — one count of rape and one of sexual assault involving two more women — in December 2025, bringing the total to seven charges across six women.
What remains open
The case may not be over. After Thursday's verdicts, the Metropolitan Police said its investigation into rape allegations by two more women remains open, that Brand has been questioned in connection with them, and that files have been sent to prosecutors, Zark News reported. Those allegations have not resulted in charges.
Brand will learn the length of his prison term when Mr Justice Bennathan sentences him at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, November 9. This article will be updated when the sentence is handed down.
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Sources: Metropolitan Police, November 5, 2026; Reuters, November 5, 2026; CNN, November 5, 2026; USA Today, November 5, 2026; Al Jazeera, November 5, 2026; Zark News, November 5, 2026. Cover photo: Russell Brand speaking at AmericaFest 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 18, 2025 (CC BY-SA 4.0, Xuthoria via Wikimedia Commons), with a small flag of the United Kingdom added in the top-right corner.