*A London judge sentenced Russell Brand to 10½ years in prison. The ruling came Monday, four days after jurors convicted the British comedian and actor of rape and sexual assault.
Brand’s victims addressed the court at the sentencing hearing, some in person and others through written statements. “I’ve been in shock and turmoil for years,” one woman told the court. Another said the 51-year-old showed “no remorse.” British law protects their identities for life, according to NBC News.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Brand a “sexual predator” and praised the women for their “determination and bravery.” Rape carries a possible life sentence in England, while each sexual assault count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Four Guilty Verdicts, Three Acquittals
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The convictions stem from one rape and three sexual assaults committed between 2004 and 2009. Brand raped a woman he met at one of his shows and sexually assaulted the other women at a party, a radio station and an advertising shoot.
Jurors acquitted him of two other rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. In total, six women brought accusations covering a 10-year period.
Brand maintained his innocence throughout the four-week trial, insisting that every encounter was consensual. He conceded, however, that his recollection of some events might be flawed.
Laura Gallacher, Brand’s wife since 2017 and the mother of his three young children, attended Monday’s hearing. She testified that he was a “caring, kind and a wonderful father.”
London’s Metropolitan Police has also handed prosecutors files concerning two additional rape allegations against Brand following the verdict.
From Newspaper Exposé to Prison
The case traces back to September 2023, when The Sunday Times and The Times published allegations against Brand and Channel 4 broadcast a “Dispatches” investigation. The women, who did not know one another, each contacted police independently afterward, according to The Associated Press.
Police interviewed more than 100 witnesses and reviewed more than 1,400 documents. The first charges followed in April 2025, and EURweb covered Brand’s conviction last week.
Brand first built his reputation in British comedy before moving into Hollywood films, including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.” He was also briefly married to pop star Katy Perry. In recent years, he shifted away from television and built his own online channels focused on his Christian faith, politics and conspiracy theories.
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