Russell Brand convicted of rape and sexual assault by London jury

British comedian and actor Russell Brand was convicted on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault by a London jury, covering incidents between 1999 and 2009 involving six women. He denied all allegations.

British comedian and actor Russell Brand was convicted today (Thursday) of rape. At the end of a trial lasting about a month, a jury at the London court found Brand guilty on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Brand, 51, was indicted on three charges of rape, three charges of sexual assault, and one charge of attempted indecent assault following complaints from six women. He vehemently denied all allegations. The evidence against Brand relates to the years 1999–2009, during which he went from an unknown actor to a famous figure. All complainants approached the authorities after being exposed to allegations in a joint investigation by The Times and Channel 4 in 2023. The defense argued that the documentary "intentionally poisoned the well of justice," while the prosecution argued that the investigation led the complainants to come forward.