Russell Brand has been jailed for ten years and six months after being convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others during the height of his fame.
The 51-year-old comedian and actor was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday, four days after a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The offences, against four women, took place between 2004 and 2009.
Mr Justice Joel Bennathan told Brand he had become a “sexual predator” as he rose to fame, and said the offences were fuelled by “staggering arrogance”. The judge said Brand had shown a casual contempt for the women’s right to say no.
Brand was handed nine years in prison for the rape of a 21-year-old fan in 2009, after she met him following a stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo. For the three sexual assaults he received sentences of nine months, 18 months and eight months, to run concurrently with each other but consecutively to the rape term, giving a total of ten years and six months.
Under sentencing rules, Brand will serve two-thirds of the term in custody — around seven years — before being released on licence. He will also remain on the sex offenders’ register for life.
The judge reduced the sentence he would otherwise have imposed for the rape by one year, citing mitigation including the 17 years since Brand’s last offence and his work helping people struggling with addiction.
Brand was convicted last Thursday after a four-week trial. The jury acquitted him of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. He has always denied the allegations and maintains he never had non-consensual sex.
The case arose from a joint investigation by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches programme, first published in 2023. The Metropolitan Police said Brand remains under investigation over two further allegations of rape, unrelated to the convictions.
Brand had spent the four nights since his conviction at HMP Wandsworth in south-west London before returning to court for sentencing.
Sources: CNN (https://www.cnn.com/2026/11/09/entertainment/russell-brand-rape-sentence-prison-intl), The Times (https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/russell-brand-sentence-prison-10-years-rape-sexual-assault-wp57rff6p), USA Today (https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/11/09/russell-brand-sentence-prison/92688513007/)
