Comedian and actor Russell Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday 5 November 2026, and was remanded in custody ahead of sentencing on Monday 9 November. The judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, told him he faced a significant custodial term.

The jury convicted Brand, 51, of raping a 21-year-old fan he met after a stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009. The three sexual assault convictions concerned a woman groped at a Soho bar in 2004, a woman assaulted at Choice FM studios in London in 2004 or 2005, and a Channel 4 worker assaulted during a forced massage in 2009.

Acquitted on three counts

Brand was acquitted of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. In total he faced seven charges relating to six women, covering alleged incidents between 1999 and 2009, and he had denied all of them. The complainants are entitled to lifelong anonymity.

Reports differ on the length of the trial, with the Metropolitan Police describing it as four weeks and other reports as three weeks, so no single figure is stated here as settled. The Metropolitan Police said its investigation into allegations of rape made by two further women remains ongoing, and that it began investigating after allegations were reported by Channel 4's Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times in September 2023.

Sources: USA Today, Russell Brand found guilty of rape, sexual assault after bombshell trial, 5 November 2026; TBS News, Comedian Russell Brand found guilty by UK court of rape and sexual assaults, 5 November 2026.