Russell Brand was convicted on Thursday, 5 November, of rape and sexual assault in London. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Mark Rowley, said he would not be surprised if "many more" people came forward with allegations.
Brand, 51, was convicted of raping a woman at his London townhouse and of sexually assaulting three women at their workplaces, according to the Guardian World. Brand was cleared of two other alleged rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault against two other women, according to the Straits Times (SG).
Rowley urged anyone with fresh allegations to contact police, according to the Guardian World. The Met is investigating two further rape allegations and has submitted files on them to the Crown Prosecution Service, the Guardian World reported.
Brand was remanded in custody. The judge told him he faced a "significant custodial term" at sentencing, according to the Straits Times (SG). No sentence has been given.
In a statement, the Met’s Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said: "Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women," according to the Straits Times (SG).
The charges followed a 2023 Channel 4 Dispatches documentary and reports in The Times and The Sunday Times that aired allegations against Brand. A joint investigation, which France 24 reported began in 2019 and took four years, also preceded the charges.
After the verdicts, the BBC apologised again for the "culture and failings" during Brand’s time at the organisation from 2006 to 2008, according to the Straits Times (SG).
Dorothy Byrne, a former Channel 4 news executive, warned of a power disparity between high-profile talent and younger staff on short-term contracts. She said this can deter victims from speaking out, according to the Guardian World.
Victims’ commissioner Claire Waxman has called for a legal duty on judges to direct juries on rape myths. The sources do not say when or how that call was made.
The sentencing date is unclear. The Straits Times (SG) gives 2 November, which is before the verdict, so the date is likely an error and has not been confirmed.
No response from Brand or his legal team to the verdict or the Met’s comments appears in the sources. Defence lawyer Ian Winter KC’s remarks to jurors are reported only in a Guardian World account and have not been independently confirmed. The details of the two further rape allegations, including a reported 16-year-old complainant cited by the Straits Times, are not confirmed by the Met beyond the Guardian World and Straits Times reports.
Brand’s sentencing is pending. The Met has urged more complainants to come forward, and the CPS is considering the files on the two further allegations.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.