A woman sexually assaulted by Russell Brand told his sentencing hearing that he was a “predator” with “no remorse” for how his behaviour affected her life, as victims shared impact statements before the 51-year-old was jailed for more than ten years.
Brand was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years at Southwark Crown Court for raping a fan at his London home and sexually assaulting three other women. In 2005, he sexually assaulted a woman working at a radio station.
Victim describes 'lasting impact'
Addressing the court on Monday, the woman said: “Russell Brand is a sexual predator who has no remorse for how his behaviour has impacted my life. I just hope that he is not allowed to hurt any more women.”
She added that Brand appeared to have “forgotten” about the assault even though it has had a “lasting impact” on her. “Since the sexual assault carried out by him in 2005, Russell Brand has managed to move on and even forget. However, over the years hearing his voice on television, on social media or seeing his image made me jump,” she said.
Rape victim's ordeal
A woman who was anally raped by Brand, then 33, at his Hampstead townhouse had to take time off work and live with her parents afterwards. She said she struggled with her mental health and alcoholism after the rape, feeling “anxious, humiliated and overwhelmed”.
“I struggled to eat and sleep, and I found it difficult to cope with my emotions. The impact was so significant that I had to take time away from work, and for a period I returned to live with my parents because I did not feel safe and felt unable to cope on my own,” she said.
She first met Brand after his comedy show at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2009, when he picked her out of a crowd to join him for a threesome backstage. She willingly went to his £2.3 million home a few days later for sex, but the encounter turned into rape when he forcefully had anal sex with her despite her pleas to stop.
She said his powerful status and fame made it difficult to challenge afterwards. “I did not know who I could trust or confide in. I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed,” she said.
Other assault accounts
Another victim was sexually assaulted by Brand while working at Channel 4 in 2009. She was forced into giving him a massage by Brand and his team, who said he would refuse to do the recording unless she complied. When she reluctantly agreed, Brand knelt down and thrust his head into her groin.
She said she felt “powerless” during the incident and was “really upset” afterwards. “There was a culture, at the time, which meant I felt I had to just carry on and not talk about it anymore. Which meant I did not give myself time to lament on it, boxed it up and pushed it aside,” she said. She added that she made sure she was never alone in a room at work again, saying: “I felt I lost my trust in people and felt that my working environment wasn’t safe.”
A woman sexually assaulted by Brand in a Soho bar in 2004 said she was left in “complete shock and turmoil” and “extremely upset and traumatised” by the attack. Speaking from behind an anonymising curtain, she said: “For many years, as his star was rising, it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, being celebrated for his disgusting behaviour against women like it was all a joke. There were many times I felt visibly sick at the sight of him parading around thinking he can get away with anything.”
A former MTV worker, groped in a Soho bar by Brand, delivered her impact statement live behind a screen. She said: “As they say, a leopard may change its spots but at the end of the day it’s still a leopard.”
Prime minister Andy Burnham praised the victims' bravery in coming forward and sharing their stories.
