A jury in London has reached its verdict in the criminal trial of comedian and actor Russell Brand.
Brand, 51, has been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a trial at Southwark Crown Court. He was acquitted of two additional rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
The charges involved six women and allegations dating back to between 1999 and 2009.
Brand pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations throughout the trial. During his testimony, he maintained that the sexual encounters were consensual. He also told the court that consent was fundamental and acknowledged that he had been wrong to use his fame to help gain sexual access to women.
The case first gained widespread attention in 2023, when allegations of sexual misconduct against Brand were reported in a Channel 4 documentary and newspaper investigations. Those reports led to a police investigation and eventually criminal charges.
Prosecutors described a pattern of behaviour involving the women who came forward, while Brand’s defence challenged their accounts and argued that the allegations had been influenced by the media coverage.
The verdict marks a major development in a case that has followed Brand for several years.
He is now facing a prison sentence, although the exact sentencing details have not yet been announced.
Photo credit: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images
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