Russell Brand, 51, has been sentenced to ten and a half years in prison after being found guilty of one charge of rape and three charges of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court on Monday. The Metropolitan Police have confirmed that Brand remains under investigation for two further rape allegations, with files submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Two Further Charges Under Investigation
Following the conclusion of his trial, it was confirmed that Brand is being investigated over rape allegations made by two more women. Prosecutors are currently assessing whether to bring further charges. At pre-trial court hearings, it was revealed that one of the complaints comes from a woman who dated Brand when he was 30 years old and she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl.
The prospect of further charges was raised in court hearings in March and May, when Brand's legal team sought assurances that any new charges would not be brought shortly before the trial took place. 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."
Jemima Goldsmith's Allegations
Brand's former partner Jemima Goldsmith has claimed that the disgraced star physically assaulted her during their relationship, and accused him of "violence, coercive control and abuse". Ms Goldsmith, 52, wrote on X that she is "strongly and unequivocally" on the side of Brand's victims while discussing her "painful" experience with Brand.
She wrote: "I had to call the police to have him removed from my house in 2014 during a violent incident. I chose not to press charges at the time and not to go public with this, as I was worried about the impact of the press attention on my then teenage children. I have neither seen nor spoken to Brand since that period in 2014." She added: "I am pleased and relieved that Russell Brand has finally received justice."
The pair were reported to have been in a relationship for a year from around September 2013, and they forced a gagging order against massage therapist Szilvia Berki in 2014, after she claimed that she was assaulted by Brand. Ms Goldsmith added that she had assisted the journalists who had exposed Brand in the Channel 4 Dispatches documentary and in reports in the Times in 2023.
More Victims Expected to Come Forward
It is thought that more victims are likely to come forward after Brand's conviction, according to the detective who led the police investigation. Det Supt Andy Furphy, from the Metropolitan Police, said he hoped other women would gain "courage" and "confidence" following the guilty verdicts. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told BBC Breakfast on Friday: "I clearly wouldn't be surprised if many more came forward."
According to The Guardian, the Metropolitan police team that built the case against Brand will start sifting through reports and intelligence about other potential victims this week. Sources have claimed that the number of further victims is at least in "double digits", with 10 currently seen as a minimum. Hundreds of people were interviewed as part of the investigation, with several witnesses who had previously had a sexual relationship with Brand coming forward. Brand was described in court as "ruthless" and a "sexual predator", with some of his victims saying they had been left "haunted for years" by what he did to them.
