Russell Brand, a well-known English actor and comedian, was found guilty by a court of raping a female fan and sexually assaulting three other women. He was immediately sent to prison to await sentencing.
On Thursday, 5 Nov 2026 GMT+7, a London jury found Russell Brand, the 51-year-old English actor, comedian, and presenter, guilty of raping one female fan and sexually assaulting three other women. He was taken into custody immediately to await sentencing next Monday.
Russell Brand was convicted on four charges: raping a 21-year-old female fan in 2009 after meeting her at one of his shows in West London. The accuser stated that they had threesome sexual encounters at the venue before continuing to Brand's home for several days of sexual activity.
However, during their second encounter, it became rape when Brand forced her to have anal sex and ignored her pleas to stop.
In addition, Brand was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault: groping an MTV employee at a London bar in 2004, kissing and fondling another woman at her workplace in 2005, and coercing a woman to massage him and sexually assaulting her in 2009.
However, the jury acquitted him of two other rape charges and one attempted indecent assault charge.
After the verdict, Brand was immediately sent to prison. He expressed love for his current wife, Laura Gallacher, who stood by him throughout the trial.
Previously, the Metropolitan Police stated that Brand used his fame, influence, and status to exploit and sexually assault women, emphasizing, “No one is above the law, regardless of their fame or power.”
The prosecution noted evidence showing Brand as a "well-planned sexual predator" who used his power and fame to create situations to satisfy his sexual desires without regard for consent.
The investigation began in 2023 after major media such as The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s "Dispatches" jointly published investigative reports exposing his behavior, prompting several victims to come forward to the police.
Brand first gained fame as a comedian and host of Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth and BBC Radio 2 before being forced out due to harassment messages. He then moved to Hollywood with films like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek, and was married to singer Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012.
In recent years, he shifted to creating content on health, mindfulness, drugs, and conspiracy theories, gaining over 6.6 million YouTube followers. He recently converted to Born-again Christianity, believing in spiritual rebirth to change one’s character, before ultimately being prosecuted and convicted.
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:cnn