Russell Brand found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London delivered the verdicts on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The 51-year-old comedian and actor now faces prison. The judge remanded him in custody until sentencing on Monday, November 9.
Russell Brand found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. A jury at Southwark Crown Court in London delivered the verdicts on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The 51-year-old comedian and actor now faces prison. The judge remanded him in custody until sentencing on Monday, November 9.
The verdict ends a trial that lasted nearly a month. It also closes one chapter of a case that began with a press investigation in 2023. Brand pleaded not guilty to all seven charges and has denied the allegations throughout. The jury cleared him of three further charges. Meanwhile, reports say police are still investigating him over two more alleged rapes.
Key Facts
- Verdict: Guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Not guilty of two further rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault.
- Court: Southwark Crown Court, London. The trial began October 12, 2026. The jury delivered its verdicts on November 5, 2026.
- Charges: Seven offences against six women, from alleged incidents between 1999 and 2009.
- Sentencing: Monday, November 9, 2026. Judge Mr Justice Bennathan told Brand to expect a “significant custodial term”. Brand is remanded in custody.
- Brand’s position: He pleaded not guilty to all charges and has denied the allegations throughout.
Russell Brand Found Guilty: The Verdicts in Full
Overall, the jury had four women and eight men. It deliberated for around eight and a half hours, over nearly two days, before returning its verdicts. It found Brand guilty on four of the seven counts. Here is the full breakdown.
| Count | Charge | Verdict | What the jury heard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Count 1 | Rape | Not guilty | Alleged rape of a woman Brand met at a cabaret show on the fringes of the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth. |
| Count 2 | Attempted indecent assault | Not guilty | Alleged attempt to drag an MTV worker into a toilet to indecently assault her in 2001. |
| Count 3 | Sexual assault | Guilty | Groping an MTV worker during a party at a Soho bar in 2004. |
| Count 4 | Rape | Not guilty | Alleged oral rape of the same MTV worker in a toilet at the Soho bar in 2004. |
| Count 5 | Sexual assault | Guilty | Sexually assaulting a Capital Radio worker after encountering her in a corridor in 2005. |
| Count 6 | Rape | Guilty | Raping a 21-year-old fan Brand met after a stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. |
| Count 7 | Sexual assault | Guilty | Sexually assaulting a Channel 4 worker during a forced massage in 2009. |
All six women have lifelong anonymity under UK law, so no outlet can name them. After the verdicts, Mr Justice Bennathan addressed Brand directly. “You’ve been convicted of a number of offences including rape,” he said. “The consequence of that is inevitably a significant custodial term.” He praised the jury. He called the case “very well prepared”. Brand’s wife, Laura Gallacher, sat in the public gallery as the court read out the verdicts.
How the Russell Brand Trial Unfolded
The road to Southwark Crown Court took more than three years. It passed through a newspaper investigation, two rounds of charges, and three weeks of evidence. Here is how the case built up.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| September 2023 | A joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches publishes allegations of rape, sexual assault and abuse against Brand. The women said the incidents happened between 1999 and 2012. |
| April 2025 | The Crown Prosecution Service charges Brand with five offences relating to four women: two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges cover 1999 to 2005. |
| December 2025 | Prosecutors authorise two more charges — one count of rape and one of sexual assault — involving two more women, both from 2009. The total becomes seven charges across six women. |
| October 12, 2026 | The trial opens at Southwark Crown Court. Over three weeks, the jury hears from the complainants and other witnesses, as well as from Brand himself. He pleads not guilty to every charge. |
| November 5, 2026 | After nearly two days of deliberation, the jury returns its verdicts: guilty on four counts, not guilty on three. The judge remands Brand in custody. |
| November 9, 2026 | Sentencing hearing scheduled at Southwark Crown Court. |
What Happens Next for Russell Brand
Sentencing takes place on Monday, November 9. The judge has already made the direction of travel clear. “Given the verdict on count six at least, obviously a custodial sentence of some length will result.” Those were the words of Mr Justice Bennathan. He remanded Brand into custody until then. So the only question left for Monday is the length of the sentence. Prison itself is certain.
Meanwhile, the legal story may not be over. After the conviction, reports said Brand is under investigation over two more alleged rapes and could face further charges. The court has not confirmed that investigation, so treat it as a report for now rather than an established fact. If charges do follow, however, a second trial is possible.
Why the Judge Remanded Brand in Custody
Remanding a defendant straight after a guilty verdict is standard practice in England and Wales when a prison sentence is certain. The judge said his “current view” was that he had to remand Brand into custody. That signals the court sees no reason to let him remain free while officials prepare the sentence. As a result, Brand will spend the weekend in custody before learning his fate on Monday.
From Stand-Up Stardom to the Courtroom
Readers who know Brand mainly from his recent years as an online commentator may not realise how long his career has run. He first broke through as a stand-up and television presenter in the 2000s. He hosted Big Brother’s Big Mouth and BBC Radio 2 shows. Then he crossed over to Hollywood films, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. The alleged offences span the peak of that fame, from 1999 to 2009. Back then he was a fixture on British television and at the centre of tabloid culture.
In recent years Brand rebuilt his audience online. He now has millions of followers and a large podcast and video following. That reinvention is part of why the case drew so much attention. The man on trial was no faded celebrity. He was a working broadcaster with a loyal audience. And the allegations cut directly against the persona he had built. His supporters have argued throughout that the case was politically motivated. The prosecution argued that the evidence from six women, heard over three weeks, spoke for itself. The jury sided with the prosecution on four counts and with the defence on three. That split verdict shows how carefully it weighed each allegation on its own merits.
Whatever happens on Monday, the conviction marks a turning point for one of Britain’s most recognisable entertainers. The industry will now watch for the sentence, for any further charges, and for how the broadcasters and platforms that carried Brand’s work respond.
What This Verdict Means
For the women at the centre of the case, the verdict ends a long wait. In some instances it stretched back more than 25 years. For the wider industry, it is another reminder. The post-#MeToo era has changed the arithmetic for powerful men in entertainment. Allegations that once stayed buried can now reach a courtroom. And a jury can convict even when the events happened decades ago. The split verdict also matters. It shows the system working as designed. Each charge was judged separately, not as a single referendum on a reputation.
We will update this story after the sentencing hearing on Monday, November 9, and if any further charges are confirmed.
Sources
- TheWrap — Russell Brand Found Guilty of Rape, Sexual Assault
- Parade — Russell Brand Found Guilty of Rape and Three Sexual Assaults in London
- Radio Times — Russell Brand found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault
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