Several people have come forward with further information and potential criminal allegations against Russell Brand during his rape and sexual assault trial and since its conclusion, the Metropolitan Police has said.
The force said those who have been in contact have either provided additional information or reported possible criminal allegations. Detectives are assessing the information as part of ongoing inquiries.
Conviction and Sentence
Brand, 51, was convicted on Thursday of raping one of his fans and sexually assaulting three TV and radio workers during his rise to international fame. He was handed a 10-and-a-half-year jail term on Monday at Southwark Crown Court.
The comedian showed no emotion as he was sentenced but told his wife, Laura Gallacher, “we’ll be OK” before he was taken downstairs by dock officers. He has spent five nights behind bars since the conviction.
Further Allegations
Following the sentencing, Brand's former partner Jemima Goldsmith shared a post on X claiming she had to call the police to have him removed from her house during a “violent incident”. Ms Goldsmith, who reportedly dated Brand for a year in 2014, wrote she has her own experience of his “violence, coercive control and abuse” and has neither seen nor spoken to him since that period.
In his submissions at Monday's hearing, defence barrister Ian Winter KC argued Brand's crimes were the consequence of the level of fame he was acquiring. Mr Winter said the final offence “happened very shortly after” Brand met his former wife, singer Katy Perry.
Victim Impact and Political Response
Four victim impact statements were delivered to the court. One victim described Brand as “a sexual predator who has no remorse for how his behaviour has impacted my life”, adding: “His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.” Another said she feared the sexual assault will “haunt me every day” and that reporting it “felt like a marathon I had not trained for”.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he would be “relentless in making whatever improvements we can” to provide more support for victims, including ensuring there are rape and serious sexual offence teams in every police force. It is understood Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will summon media and entertainment bosses in the coming days to tell them the case must be a “line in the sand”, with a Government source telling The Times that Ms Nandy believes “responsibility has to lie with the people at the top”.
Sentencing Remarks
Sentencing Brand, Mr Justice Bennathan criticised the comedian's “staggering arrogance” and said he had “become a sexual predator” during his rise to fame. The judge said Brand harboured a “casual arrogant disregard to any woman's right to say no to you” while his fame meant he believed “you could act when you liked and how you liked”.
Brand 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.
