British actor Russell Brand faces prison after rape, sexual assault conviction

Russell Brand was convicted Thursday of rape and sexual assault charges on allegations dating back more than 20 years.

Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand would receive a prison term when he is sentenced on Monday. He was taken into custody.

A prosecutor said the British actor-comedian was a ruthless, calculating, manipulative “sexual predator”.

The 51-year-old denied the charges and testified that he was obsessed with sex as a young man and once led a promiscuous life but had never forced anyone to do something against their will.

Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. He was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.

The jury of eight men and four women in Southwark Crown Court deliberated more than eight hours over two days.

Known for risque stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, Brand rose to prominence in the early 2000s, hosting television programmes and his own BBC radio show.

He appeared in Hollywood films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.

In recent years he has moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and built a large online following with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his religious devotion.

Brand said the criminal case had a devastating impact on his life and family. “My entire life has been consumed by these events, these allegations, these accusations,” he said.

Brand’s lawyers argued that the alleged victims were undermined by the fact that they went to police only years after the alleged assaults, and following the broadcast of a 2023 documentary that contained anonymous allegations against him.

Brand testified that friends and colleagues had abandoned him. His wife, Laura, who accompanied him to court, testified as a character witness in his defence, but no one with relevant evidence was willing to give evidence on his behalf, he said.