Brand was sentenced to 10½ years in prison. He was convicted last week of rape and sexual assault.
British comedian and actor Russell Brand was sentenced Monday to 10½ years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced him at Southwark Crown Court in London. A jury convicted Brand last Thursday on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault after a four-week trial.
Bennathan said Brand showed a “casual and arrogant disregard” for women who refused him, and rebuked him for lying in his testimony. He said that about 20 years ago Brand had become famous and also a sexual predator. The judge said that whatever women wear or drink, they keep the right to say no and to seek justice from the courts. Brand showed little emotion, according to the Associated Press. The rape conviction carried a nine-year term, with shorter terms for the three sexual assaults. The assaults date back to 2004.
Brand denied all the allegations and has said all his sexual encounters were consensual. The case began with a September 2023 joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches. London’s Metropolitan Police charged him in April 2025, and he pleaded not guilty that May. He was acquitted on charges involving two other women.
This report draws on CNN, The Associated Press, Variety and Deseret News.