Noel Fielding has spoken out about Russell Brand following his sentencing, saying he was "horrified and deeply disturbed" to learn of the crimes.
Brand was jailed for 10 and a half years after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Fielding worked with Brand several times over the years and has now broken his silence about his former colleague.
Working relationship
The pair regularly appeared on panel shows and at award ceremonies together and worked together on shows like The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. Fielding also made guest appearances on Brand's radio shows, reports the Mirror.
Fielding told The Sun: "I was horrified and deeply disturbed to learn of Russell Brand's crimes, which I was completely unaware of until they became public knowledge. My thoughts are with the women whose courage brought him to justice."
He added: "I appeared on TV, radio and live charity shows with him, and whilst we played it up for the cameras and in the media, I considered it a professional relationship, rather than a personal one. I have had no contact with him for many years. Looking back at some of the jokes I made alongside him I was appalled. They were horrible and inappropriate, and I very much regret them."
Conviction and sentence
On November 5, the 51-year-old was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at a London court. He has also been accused of using his celebrity status to prey on women throughout his career.
He was found not guilty of two other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. Brand was given his sentence at the Southwark Crown Court. He is expected to serve two-thirds of the term behind bars.
On November 9, Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison.
Documentary and career
In light of the verdict, Netflix has dropped a new documentary titled Russell Brand: Open Secret. The film takes viewers through Brand's rise to fame as a comedian, TV and Hollywood film star, as well as his pursuits as a "political activist and YouTuber known for spouting out conspiracy theories".
The documentary then concludes with his dramatic fall from stardom through his headline-dominating criminal trial. Directed by Olivia Issacs, the documentary comes from 72 Films which is the Fremantle company that produced Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.
The documentary will feature insiders' voices and archived footage to give viewers further insight into Brand's life in and out of the spotlight. It will also examine the investigation run by The Times and The Sunday Times.
Over his two decade career, Brand featured heavily in TV, radio, stage and podcasts. He also made a number of appearances in Hollywood films, including Hop, the Despicable Me franchise, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Brand can be released on licence once he has served two-thirds of his prison sentence. The disgraced comedian, who is being supported by his wife Laura Brand with whom he shares three children, will be put on the sex offenders' register for life.
