A three-word message has appeared on Russell Brand's X profile following his imprisonment, alongside a link to a petition calling for his release. The post, shared with his millions of followers, read: "There never was a Russell Brand, according to Meta. Thank God for Elon Musk," adding: "Stay tuned."
On Monday, Brand, 51, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. One of his fans told the court how she was raped as a 21-year-old by Brand in 2009 at his luxury London home, while female staffers at Channel 4, MTV, and Capital Radio came forward to reveal how they had been sexually assaulted by the TV star.
Petition and social media activity
A follow-up post on Thursday linked to a petition supporting his release, along with the words "#FreeRussellBrand". The "Free Russell Brand" petition, launched on Change.org, calls for "justice" for Brand, and for his "right to challenge those convictions through lawful appeal procedures to be fully respected".
The user who started the petition listed their name as "Jane Doe", a placeholder often used in a legal context to protect a woman's identity. It's not known who started the petition, which has garnered more than 16,000 signatures at the time of writing. The petition statement says it is by "an independent community of supporters from around the world who believe that justice must always be fair, transparent and grounded in the rule of law".
A link to a video by right-wing YouTuber Matt Walsh casting doubt on Brand's guilt has also since been shared on the X profile. It's also unclear who is posting on Brand's X account, as he shouldn't have access to a computer that can connect to the internet or a smartphone while behind bars.
Prosecutor and sentencing remarks
Following Brand's conviction, David Roberts, Senior Crown Prosecutor in the London Rape and Serious Sexual Assault Unit, said: "Russell Brand was predatory and used his celebrity status to commit sexual crimes. He was a manipulator with an insatiable desire to get what he wanted regardless of whether consent was given or not."
"As his career took off, he seized opportunities to assault the women around him. Although his tactics varied, at the centre of every assault was an abuse of power and sexual greed, with a complete disregard for the impact of his actions. I would like to thank all the women in this case for their courage in coming forward and seeing this sexual abuser brought to justice."
In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Bennathan, the judge in the trial, labelled Brand a "sexual predator" who believed he was "unhindered by the rules by which decent people live". Brand is currently being held at HMP Wandsworth in South London. He is expected to serve two thirds of his prison sentence before being released on licence, and will be on the sex offenders' register for life.
