The woman raped by Russell Brand told Southwark Crown Court she did not report the attack for years because she feared she would not be believed due to his fame and influence. Brand, 51, was found guilty last week of raping the woman in 2009 and sexually assaulting female TV and radio workers between 2004 and 2009. He is due to be sentenced later today.
Victim's impact statement read in court
In an impact statement read by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC, the woman said she struggled with alcoholism and mental health issues in the years after the attack. She met Brand at one of his comedy shows at the Hammersmith Apollo, where he picked her out of the crowd to join him for a threesome backstage. She willingly went to his £2.3 million Hampstead townhouse a few days later for sex, but the court heard the second encounter turned to rape when Brand forced her into anal sex.
The woman wrote: "The defendant's public profile had a significant impact on me – because of who he was and the influence he held, I did not feel confident speaking openly about what had happened. I did not know who I could trust or confide in. I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed. His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless. I did not have the confidence to challenge someone who appeared so powerful, rich and influential."
What convinced her to come forward
The woman said she felt empowered by seeing police were probing allegations against Brand, and did not come forward just because of the 2023 Channel 4 documentary investigating his treatment of women. She wrote: "When I eventually reported what had happened, it was not simply because of the media documentary. By that stage I had become aware of the police investigation and felt that I was finally in a stronger position mentally to disclose my experience. Reporting what happened was something I had hoped I would eventually be able to do, but it took a long time to reach that point."
Other victims told the court they have struggled with the mass media coverage of the trial. A radio worker sexually assaulted by Brand in 2005 said she almost withdrew her allegation over the emotional strain of being at the centre of a criminal case. A former MTV worker, groped in a Soho bar by Brand, delivered her impact statement live behind a screen, saying: "I felt like my life was on hold for all of that time waiting my time to speak out about what happened to me."
Channel 4 worker's complaint mishandled
A Channel 4 worker who was sexually assaulted by Brand said the attack was "brushed under the carpet" by her bosses and she still worries about repercussions for speaking out. In her victim impact statement read to the court, she said she was "powerless" during the incident, "really upset" in the aftermath, and struggled to trust colleagues in the years that followed. Channel 4 has acknowledged that the woman's complaint was mishandled in 2009, and Brand continued to appear on the channel's shows up to 2019.
Brand, who denied all the charges he faced at trial, sat emotionless as prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC submitted to the judge that the rape conviction should be considered at the highest level of impact, carrying a sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Mr Justice Bennathan is due to pass sentence on Brand at 2pm. The hearing continues.
