Comedian and actor Russell Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison Monday, days after a British jury convicted him of rape and three counts of sexual assault in a case involving four women.
Brand, 51, maintained his innocence throughout the trial and showed little emotion as the sentence was handed down. Judge Joel Bennathan condemned what he described as Brand’s “casual and arrogant disregard” for women.
A jury of eight men and four women found Brand guilty of attacking four of six women who accused him of offenses dating back to 2004. He was acquitted of two additional counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones argued that Brand exploited the influence and access afforded by his celebrity status to target women and believed his fame would shield him from consequences.
“He used it to facilitate an access to women without which the offending could not have taken place,” Karmy-Jones said. “It also fed his own view that he could commit such offenses with impunity.”
Brand had remained free throughout the trial, which began Oct. 12, but was taken into custody following Thursday’s guilty verdict.
He rose to prominence in the early 2000s through his provocative comedy, television appearances, and BBC radio show. He later transitioned to Hollywood, appearing in films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, and Bedtime Stories.
Brand also attracted widespread attention for his high-profile marriage to pop star Katy Perry. The couple married in 2010 and divorced in 2012. He later married Laura Gallacher, with whom he has children.
Once a fixture of British entertainment and Hollywood celebrity culture, Brand has increasingly distanced himself from legacy media in recent years. He relocated to Florida, cultivated a substantial online following, and shifted toward political and cultural commentary.
Brand also publicly embraced Christianity and was baptized in April 2024, a period in which he increasingly incorporated religious themes into his public persona.