Netflix has confirmed a new documentary about Russell Brand, days after the 51-year-old was jailed for 10 and a half years for rape and sexual assault. The film, titled Russell Brand: Open Secret, will chart his rise to international fame and his subsequent fall from grace.
Brand was convicted on Monday (November 19) of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others during his career. He has been accused of abusing his celebrity status to prey on women.
Documentary Details and Background
The documentary uses insiders' voices and archive footage to offer an insight into the downfall of the television star. It will also explore the Dispatches investigation for Channel 4 in September 2023, alongside The Times and Sunday Times, which led to the women coming forward to complain and ultimately the four convictions against Brand.
The film has been directed by Olivia Isaacs and produced by 72 Films, the company behind Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story, which examined how the disgraced entertainer was "hiding in plain sight" for so long.
Career Highlights and Trial Coverage
The documentary will chart Brand's meteoric rise to fame, from his start as a TV presenter and comedian to his emergence as a Hollywood star in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Hop and the Despicable Me franchise. Over his two-decade career, he also cemented his status through his marriage to singer Katy Perry and his appearances on TV, radio, stage, and podcasts.
Russell Brand: Open Secret will also examine how he eventually became a "political activist and YouTuber known for spouting conspiracy theories" in the early 2020s. It will then follow his criminal trial at Southwark Crown Court, where he was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault against four victims.
Sentencing and Streaming Date
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. It comes amid reports that Russell Brand: Re:Birth, the 2018 original comedy show filmed at the Hackney Empire in East London, will not be removed from the streaming platform.
Russell Brand: Open Secret will be available to stream on Netflix on November 13.
