A jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Thursday, 5 November 2026, found comedian and actor Russell Brand, 51, guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Brand was taken into custody immediately after the verdicts and refused bail. Mr Justice Joel Bennathan told him he faced a lengthy custodial sentence and set sentencing for Monday, 9 November.
The verdicts close a three-week trial that began on 12 October, in which the jury heard evidence from six women about incidents said to have taken place between 1999 and 2009. Brand denied all of the charges and pleaded not guilty to each of the seven counts.
What the jury decided
The jury convicted Brand on four of the seven counts and cleared him on the other three, after deliberating for about eight and a half hours.
He was found guilty of raping a 21-year-old fan he met after a stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. The jury also found him guilty of three sexual assaults: groping a woman working for MTV at a party in a Soho bar in 2004; sexually assaulting a woman working at the radio station Choice FM in a corridor in 2004 or 2005; and sexually assaulting a woman working on a project at Channel 4 during a forced massage in 2009.
He was cleared of raping a woman he met at a cabaret show on the fringes of the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, of attempting to drag an MTV worker into a toilet to indecently assault her in 2001, and of orally raping the MTV worker at the Soho bar — the jury found him guilty of groping her, but not of the further rape charge.
The full verdicts, as reported from court, were: guilty on counts 3, 5, 6 and 7 — three counts of sexual assault and one of rape — and not guilty on counts 1, 2 and 4.
“A lengthy custodial sentence”
Addressing Brand after the verdicts, Mr Justice Bennathan said: “You’ve been convicted of a number of offences including rape.” He said Brand would be taken into custody without bail because “obviously a custodial sentence of some length will result.”
In England and Wales, a rape conviction carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, with sentencing guidelines listing a range of four to 19 years in custody for the offence. The judge must also decide how to sentence Brand for the three sexual assault convictions, and whether those sentences should run at the same time as the rape sentence or one after another.
One UK legal expert, senior solicitor Kally Sahota, estimated after the verdict that Brand could receive a sentence of eight to nine years, based on the convictions and what is publicly known — while stressing that the final sentence is for the judge to decide.
Reaction from prosecutors
David Roberts, Senior Crown Prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service’s London Rape and Serious Sexual Assault Unit, said after the conviction that Brand had engaged in “abuse of power and sexual greed, with a complete disregard for the impact of his actions.”
The Metropolitan Police confirmed after the trial that Brand is being investigated over two additional rape allegations, including an allegation involving a 16-year-old girl who says she was assaulted when Brand was 30. Those allegations are separate from the charges decided at this trial, and no charges have been brought in relation to them.
How the case reached court
The allegations against Brand first became public in September 2023, when a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches programme reported claims of rape, sexual assault and abuse spanning from 1999 to 2012. The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation later that year.
The Crown Prosecution Service authorised the initial charges in April 2025, covering allegations dating from 1999 to 2005. The trial that concluded on Thursday covered six women and incidents said to have taken place between 1999 and 2009, a period in which Brand rose from performing stand-up comedy in small venues to becoming a television presenter and Hollywood film star.
What happens next
Brand remains in custody until his sentencing hearing on Monday, 9 November, when Mr Justice Bennathan will pass sentence. The length of any prison term, and whether the sentences for the four convictions run concurrently or consecutively, will be decided then.
The two additional allegations under investigation by the Metropolitan Police remain separate matters, and their outcome is not yet known.
Brand is not the only high-profile figure to receive a long prison sentence this week: Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was jailed for 10 years on Wednesday in his second conviction under Beijing’s national security law.
FAQ
What was Russell Brand found guilty of?
One count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, at Southwark Crown Court in London on 5 November 2026. He was acquitted of two rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
When will Russell Brand be sentenced?
On Monday, 9 November 2026. He was remanded in custody after the verdicts, and the judge said he faced a lengthy custodial sentence.
How long could he spend in prison?
A rape conviction in England and Wales carries a maximum of life imprisonment, with guidelines ranging from four to 19 years. One legal expert estimated eight to nine years, but the final sentence is for the judge to decide.
What happens to the other allegations against him?
The Metropolitan Police say they are investigating two additional rape allegations against Brand. No charges have been brought in relation to them.
Sources
- USA Today — “Russell Brand found guilty of rape, sexual assault after bombshell trial” — https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/11/05/russell-brand-trial-verdict-guilty-rape-sexual-assault/92587752007/
- Al Jazeera — “Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault by UK court” — https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2026/11/5/russell-brand-found-guilty-of-rape-and-sexual-assault-by-uk-court
- NY Post — “Russell Brand convicted of rape in UK court” — https://nypost.com/2026/11/05/world-news/russell-brand-found-guilty-of-one-count-of-rape-and-three-counts-of-sexual-assault-by-london-jury/
- Page Six — “How long Russell Brand will serve in UK prison revealed after guilty rape verdict” — https://pagesix.com/2026/11/05/celebrity-news/how-long-russell-brand-will-serve-in-uk-prison-revealed-after-guilty-rape-verdict/
- Glasgow Times — “Russell Brand found guilty of charges of rape and sexual assault” — https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/26702792.russell-brand-found-guilty-charges-rape-sexual-assault/
- LADbible — “Russell Brand found guilty of raping young fan and three counts of sexual assault” — https://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-news/russell-brand-case-allegations-verdict-051796-20261103
