Russell Brand has been convicted of rape and sexual assault and may now face a lengthy prison sentence.
A jury returned guilty verdicts on one rape charge and three counts of sexual assault on Nov. 5, following more than nine hours of deliberations, Sky News reported.
The 51-year-old was cleared of two other rape allegations and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
Brand’s wife, Laura Gallacher, appeared close to tears after the verdict, according to The Hollywood Reporter. As Brand was taken away, he reportedly mouthed the words “I’m OK” and “I’m good.”
Justice Joel Bennathan told Brand, whose sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 9, that he could receive a “significant custodial term,” according to NBC News.
Under guidance from Britain’s Sentencing Council, rape carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Brand has repeatedly rejected the allegations, maintaining that the sexual encounters were consensual or that the claims had been reshaped over time.
What Was Russell Brand Accused Of?
The case involved allegations from six women covering a period of more than a decade, beginning in 1999. During opening arguments, lead prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones characterized the Forgetting Sarah Marshall actor as a “ruthless, calculated and manipulative” predator who was “obsessed” with sex, Sky News reported.
One woman said Brand became “monster-like” after the pair went to a hotel room in 1999. She alleged that he forced himself on her and raped her, but Brand was found not guilty in connection with that accusation, according to NBC News.
A second woman described an alleged 2004 incident in which Brand displayed a “weird maniacal grin,” according to the BBC, before pulling her into a bar bathroom and orally raping her.
“I pushed him away and he said: ‘Come on, come on, don’t be a spoilsport,’” she told the court, according to The Guardian. “He kept pushing my head down and wouldn’t let me go. I just froze. I didn’t know what to do.”
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Another woman said she was groped at a London radio station around 2004. A further accuser testified that Brand anally raped her at his home after one of his performances in 2009, NBC News reported.
Russell Brand Denied Allegations Against Him on the Stand
Brand testified in his own defense and denied the accusations.
He acknowledged that his early years of fame involved “reckless philandering and idiocy,” but told the court that “consent is more important than sex itself,” ITV reported.
“As I became more successful and famous I was very comfortable allowing that to facilitate sexual access which I agree with you was wrong,” he said. “I do recognize that I have been a very determined and focused man.”
Despite those admissions, Brand insisted that he had not committed any criminal offenses.
He also described the allegations as a “deeply traumatic episode of my life,” saying he had concentrated on the case at the expense of his marriage, children and health.
Following the verdict, Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy said outside the courthouse that Brand had exploited his “influence, status and fame” to target women. He said it had taken “extraordinary courage” for the accusers to come forward.
“I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law,” he said, according to Sky News, “no matter how famous or powerful they may be.”
How Long Could Russell Brand’s Sentence Be?
Brand was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing hearing on Nov. 9. The rape conviction carries a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, while the sexual assault conviction could result in a sentence of up to 10 years.
“While it’s unlikely he’s going to be anything towards the top end of that,” legal expert Sian Harrison told SkyNews, “we’re looking at a significant sentence and really serious offending.”