Russell Brand has begun his 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault, with new allegations of violence emerging as he spent his first night behind bars.
The 51-year-old showed no emotion as he was sentenced on Monday afternoon at Southwark Crown Court, telling his wife, Laura Gallacher, “we’ll be okay” before being taken downstairs by dock officers.
New Allegations of Violence
Hours after sentencing, Jemima Goldsmith, who reportedly dated Brand for around a year in 2014, shared a post on X claiming she had to call the police to get him removed during a “violent incident”. She wrote that she has her own personal experience of his “violence, coercive control and abuse” and has neither seen nor spoken to Brand since that period.
Brand was convicted on Thursday for raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three TV and radio workers during his rise to international fame. He spent four nights in a cell before the sentencing hearing.
Court Arguments and Victim Impact
His barrister, Ian Winter KC, argued the crimes were connected and a consequence of the level of fame he was acquiring, noting that the final offence “happened very shortly after” Brand met his former wife, singer Katy Perry.
One victim called Brand “a sexual predator who has no remorse for how his behaviour has impacted my life”, adding that his fame left her afraid to speak out for years: “His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.” Another said she fears the assault will “haunt me every day” and described reporting the incident as “feeling like a marathon I had not trained for”.
Political and Legal Reactions
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the bravery of the women who came forward will bring about wider changes to the legal system. Speaking at a hospital in Hertfordshire, he said he would be “relentless in making whatever improvements we can” to support victims, including ensuring rape and serious sexual offence teams in every police force.
Last week, Burnham told Times Radio he would “look closely” at what Sir Mark Rowley said after the Metropolitan Police Commissioner backed calls to change legislation to tackle “rape myths”. Sir Mark had earlier told the BBC that what he heard reported from Brand’s trial came very close to “victim blaming”.
Victims Commissioner Claire Waxman has called for a new legal duty on judges to direct juries if rape myths have been ventured during a trial. In the House of Lords, justice minister Lord Lemos said the Government “know we need to do better on ensuring victims of rape and sexual abuse feel safe to seek justice”, but did not commit to changing the law around rape trials.
Labour former justice minister Baroness Levitt has tabled an amendment to the Courts and Tribunals Bill to write Waxman’s proposed duty into law, requiring judges in trials for sexual and domestic abuse offences to direct juries on myths and stereotypes. Former Conservative Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told BBC Newsnight that a change in the law could “complicate the situation”.
Sentencing Brand, Mr Justice Bennathan slammed his “staggering arrogance” and said he had “become a sexual predator” during his rise to fame, noting a “casual arrogant disregard to any woman’s right to say no to you”. Brand is expected to serve two-thirds of his sentence before release on licence and will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.
