Katherine Ryan has described feeling both “grief and relief” after Russell Brand was convicted of rape and told he could face up to 10 years in prison.
The Canadian-born comedian, 43, said many women were discussing the verdict privately, experiencing what she called a “deeply complicated mix of emotions” over Brand’s conviction.
Ryan was among the first well-known figures to publicly raise concerns about Brand’s alleged sexual behaviour. She also became the first celebrity to confront him directly, nearly a decade ago.
The pair served as judges on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle in 2018, where Ryan repeatedly accused Brand of being a “sexual predator” during filming.
Those remarks were removed by producers and never appeared in the broadcast episodes. Brand left the programme after six instalments.
Ryan revisited the subject in 2022 during an interview with Louis Theroux, saying she knew of a “predator” working in the entertainment industry.
Although she declined to identify the man, saying doing so would create a “litigious minefield”, Ryan revealed that she had called him a “predator” directly. Her comments led to widespread speculation that she was referring to Brand.
The following year, as several women accused Brand of rape, sexual abuse and degrading conduct, Ryan addressed the controversy at a Royal Television Society event.
She referred to an “elephant in the room” before claiming she was making a joke about her own weight.
Discussing Brand’s guilty verdicts on her podcast, Telling Everybody Everything, Ryan said the news had left her feeling emotionally unsettled, caught off guard and moved by the survivors, who she noted had nothing to gain by coming forward.
She praised the women for speaking out despite Brand’s fame, influence, wealth and large following of supporters who were prepared to attack them.
Comedian Katherine Ryan says she feels both “grief and relief” after Russell Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault. The pair are pictured appearing together on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle in 2018, where footage of Ryan confronting him was cut
Ryan repeatedly accused Brand during filming of Roast Battle of sexually assaulting women, but the allegations were removed before the episodes aired
Ryan said she did not want to celebrate anyone’s suffering, but believed the verdict represented a measure of justice. Alongside that relief, however, she said there was also grief.
She stressed that the court had established that something terrible had happened, adding that the consequences would continue to affect those who were harmed, regardless of the outcome.
Ryan said the verdict had only been possible because women had suffered, and admitted she was concerned about what might happen next.
She argued that Brand had spent years promoting the idea that the establishment had fabricated the allegations against him, presenting himself as a martyr to an expanding audience that still viewed the survivors as the villains.
Ryan ended the thought with a dark joke, saying she hoped Brand would not be able to continue podcasting from prison.
She added that many women were speaking among themselves quietly, as they had learned to do in order to avoid attacks and protect one another. Those women, she said, were also experiencing a complicated range of feelings following the verdict.
Ryan also condemned the behaviour of Brand’s barrister, who confronted a journalist outside court after the verdict.
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Ian Winter KC approached Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin, whose investigation helped prompt alleged victims of Brand to come forward, and asked whether she was pleased with herself.
Urwin replied that she was pleased justice had been served. Winter responded angrily, saying that justice had not been done and blaming her for the outcome.
Ryan described the exchange as highly unprofessional, inappropriate and aggressive, calling it “sickening”.
During the proceedings, Winter argued that coverage of the allegations by Urwin and other journalists had “poisoned the well” and made a fair trial impossible.
Mr Justice Bennathan rejected Brand’s bid to prevent the trial from going ahead on the grounds that negative media coverage had prejudiced the case.
The Daily Mail previously reported that Ryan repeatedly made on-camera allegations during Roast Battle, claiming Brand had sexually assaulted women.
According to Deadline, the comments were cut from the episodes that were broadcast.
A source told the publication that Brand was reportedly “absolutely furious” after Ryan confronted him during filming.
Ryan’s remarks were also said to have highlighted how comedians within the industry were openly discussing allegations about Brand’s sexual and predatory behaviour.
Two further sources claimed Brand asked producers to shield him from similar comments by other panellists. He later appeared on one series of Roast Battle.
Ryan has also previously said she told another comedian that he was a sexual predator and that allegations against him were an “open secret”.
Speaking to Louis Theroux, she said she confronted the unnamed man repeatedly in front of an audience while they were working together on a television programme.
Ryan said she had faced criticism for refusing to identify the person publicly, but explained that even discussing him was legally risky because he had “very good lawyers”.
She said the matter was not hers to disclose, but added that she believed the allegations because the sources behind them were highly credible.
Ryan made similar remarks during an appearance on Desert Island Discs in 2023.
On the BBC Radio 4 programme, she said she had wrestled with whether to work alongside someone she believed had committed sexual assault or to refuse professional opportunities.
The interview was recorded before the allegations against Brand became public. Ryan told presenter Lauren Laverne that although she believed the unnamed individual was, or had been, dangerous, she was still prepared to appear on a programme with him.
She described her compromise as accepting the job while making her views clear to the comedian in question.
Ryan said the man showed little visible reaction, while other comedians who knew about his reputation appeared to support what she had said.
Brand is now facing a lengthy prison sentence after being found guilty of one count of rape and three sexual assaults.