Russell Brand could face further criminal charges after the Metropolitan Police confirmed he has been accused of raping two more women, with investigations still ongoing. The 51-year-old comedian was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009.
Guilty Verdicts and Acquittals
The jury found Brand guilty of raping a young fan he met after one of his Hammersmith Apollo shows in 2009. He was also found guilty of groping an MTV worker during a party at a Soho bar in 2004, but was cleared of raping her in a toilet. Brand was convicted of kissing and groping a Capital Radio worker after encountering her in a corridor in 2005, and of sexually assaulting a Channel 4 worker in 2009 when she was forced to give him a massage.
He was found not guilty of raping a woman he met at a cabaret show on the fringes of the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, and cleared of trying to drag an MTV worker into a toilet to indecently assault her in 2001.
Ongoing Police Investigation
The Met Police confirmed that investigations are ongoing into two allegations of rape made against Brand. At pre-trial court hearings, it was revealed that one complaint comes from a woman who dated Brand when he was 30 years old and she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl.
A police spokesperson said: “The Met’s investigation into allegations of rape made by two women remains ongoing. The suspect has previously been interviewed under caution in connection with the allegations. Files have been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to both complainants. Detectives remain in close contact with prosecutors as inquiries continue and further investigative work is carried out.”
Legal Proceedings and Public Accusations
The prospect of further charges was raised in court hearings in March and May, when Brand’s legal team sought assurances that new charges would not be brought shortly before the trial. Defence barrister Ian Winter KC said: “There may be additional complainants in this case. That may have an impact on the argument the defence wishes to run.” At the May hearing, Mr Justice Bennathan set out that there are two new accusers, and prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC confirmed they “would not seek to join any further complainants to this trial”.
In 2023, Brand was first publicly accused of sexual misconduct in reporting by the Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4 Dispatches. One accuser, given the alias ‘Alice’, alleged she had been mistreated by Brand when she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl. In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Alice said Brand had called her “The Child” when they were together. She said: “It was my first sexual experience, I felt used up, I felt cheap, I felt dirtied by the whole thing.”
In legal argument in October before the trial, Ms Karmy-Jones KC set out that the allegations are still under investigation. She noted that Brand had actively raised the Alice allegations by referring to them in a recent interview, saying: "This was done after Russell Brand had been interviewed in respect of the allegations, but before charge, that being a matter that is still under investigation."
Police Appeal for Further Reports
In its statement after the trial verdicts, the Met issued an appeal: “Anyone who wishes to speak to detectives or make a report can contact the investigation team by email at CSOU@met.police.uk. Reports can also be made by calling 101 from within the UK and quoting reference 2321/04NOV26.”
