OAN Staff Lillian Mann
12:08 PM – Thursday, November 5, 2026
British actor and comedian Russell Brand was convicted by a London jury of rape and sexual assault involving four women and was taken into custody where he faces the possibility of life in prison.
Brand, 51, was accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. He was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Thursday at London's Southwark Crown Court, following a four-week trial.
The allegations, made by six women, spanned across a 10-year-period between 1999 to 2009.
The maximum sentence for rape is life in prison, while the maximum sentence for one count of sexual assault is 10 years, according to Britain's Sentencing Council.
Denying the accusations, Brand maintained that all his sexual encounters were consensual, while admitting that he was "persuasive" and "seductive."
During the trial, a prosecutor accused the actor of being ruthless, calculating, manipulative and a "sexual predator."
Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand that the consequence of the verdicts would be a "significant custodial term" and that he is required to remain in prison until he is formally sentenced on Monday.
"You've been convicted of a number of offenses including rape," Bennathan said adding that Brand faced a "significant" prison sentence.
After the trial, London's Metropolitan Police confirmed Brand was also being investigated for two additional rape charges including an allegation involving a 16-year-old girl who claims he assaulted her when he was 30.
During his testimony, Brand admitted to being "reckless" said he had been "comfortable" with allowing his fame to gain him extensive "sexual access."
"I have been persuasive, seductive, begging and flirting, and have dedicated a lot of my life to what seems now beyond reckless philandering and idiocy," he told the court as he gave evidence last Wednesday.
"I was in a position of fame. As I became more successful and famous I was very comfortable allowing that to facilitate sexual access, which I agree was wrong," he added.
Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher, testified last week, maintaining that her husband was a "caring, kind and a wonderful father." The couple married in 2017 and have three young children.
Known for his vulgar stand-up comedy routines and battles with substance abuse, Brand rose to fame in the early 2000s hosting several television programs and his own BBC radio show.
He also appeared in Hollywood films including "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek." His fame was later cemented following his brief marriage with pop star Katy Perry in 2010.
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