Baptized Comedian Russell Brand Convicted Of Rape And Sexual Assault
Russell Brand, the off-color British comedian who was baptized two years ago, then wrote a book about becoming a Christian, was convicted Thursday in London of rape and sexual assault against four women.
Brand, 51, faces a “significant” prison term at sentencing Monday, Judge Joel Bennathan said, according to The Associated Press. The judge then denied bail over concerns Brand might flee.
A Southwark Crown Court jury unanimously convicted Brand of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, Metropolitan Police said. He was acquitted of two rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault, AP reported.
Brand denied the charges and testified that he had never forced anyone to act against their will, AP said.
Brand could also face further charges as police investigate rape allegations from two other women, The Sun reported Thursday. Prosecutors are assessing whether to bring charges.
One allegation involves a woman who dated Brand when she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl and he was 30, the London tabloid reported. Both allegations were discussed at pretrial hearings.
“Files have been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to both complainants,” a police spokesperson told The Sun.
The convictions concern offenses committed between 2004 and 2009, according to police. Media reports said that Brand raped a fan he met at a 2009 comedy show and sexually assaulted women at a bar, a radio station and a recording session.
“Brand used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women,” Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said.
Police said their investigation began after allegations appeared September 2023 in Channel 4’s “Dispatches,” The Times and The Sunday Times. Women who did not know one another subsequently contacted investigators.
Detectives interviewed more than 100 witnesses, collected more than 400 witness statements and examined more than 1,400 documents, police said. With no surveillance footage or forensic evidence available, investigators reconstructed timelines and obtained old floor plans and photographs of relevant locations.
Investigators also reviewed hundreds of hours of Brand’s performances, broadcasts, interviews and podcasts, along with all his books, according to the police statement. The material helped them check those timelines, assess witnesses accounts and identify inconsistencies in Brand’s explanations.
Brand was baptized in the River Thames in April 2024, with television adventurer Bear Grylls assisting, Roys Report previously reported. His recent book, “How to Become a Christian in Seven Days,” is modeled on the “twelve steps” of Alcoholics Anonymous.
This article was originally published in The Roys Report.
Mark A. Kellner is a reporter based in Mesquite, Nevada. He most recently covered statewide elections for the New York Post and was for three years the Faith & Family Reporter for The Washington Times. Mark is a graduate of the University of the Cumberlands and also attended Boston University’s College of Communication.