Russell Brand hosted a large beach gathering with a sober-living organization just 10 days before his rape trial began in the UK, where he was sentenced to more than a decade in prison.
The disgraced comedian, 51, invited friends, relatives, church members and people connected to Path of Grace Recovery to a barbecue at Grayton Beach, Florida, on September 27, sources close to the actor told TMZ.
Brand has previously supported Path of Grace Recovery, a nonprofit assisting women dealing with drug and alcohol addiction. Around 100 people attended the gathering, including his wife, Laura, and their three children.
One source said the event had the atmosphere of a farewell party. There was reportedly extensive praying, while Brand went around speaking to each guest and saying he was putting his faith in God.
Images from the gathering showed the actor wearing a white cut-off T-shirt bearing the word ‘REBORN,’ a long cross necklace, white sweatpants and sandals as he posed alongside other attendees.
According to the sources, Brand appeared to be behaving normally and gave no obvious sign that he was anxious about the approaching trial.
However, he reportedly told one attendee: ‘I might be going away for a long time.’
Brand is now expected to be transferred to a prison for sex offenders after reportedly spending his first three days in custody cowering in his cell at HMP Wandsworth.Â
Russell Brand, 51, pictured in February, hosted a beach gathering with a sober-living group just 10 days before his UK rape trial began
His wife Laura and their three children were also at the gathering
The actor showed little emotion on Monday when he was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for raping a fan and sexually assaulting three other women while he was at the height of his fame.
Before he was led from the dock to the cells, he mouthed ‘I love you’ and ‘we’ll be OK’ to his wife, Laura Gallacher, during a brief exchange.
Laura visibly collapsed forward in her seat in the public gallery as the sentence was announced. She later fought back tears while leaving court hand in hand with a friend.
Brand’s father, Ron Brand, also appeared shaken by the sentence, which is expected to result in his son spending at least seven years behind bars.
Passing sentence, Justice Joel Bennathan said Brand believed he could commit sexual offenses ‘with impunity.’ The judge said he had used his fame, influence and power to satisfy a ‘voracious’ and violent desire for gratification.
The judge described Brand as a dangerous ‘sexual predator’ who emerged after he became famous, condemning his ‘staggering arrogance’ and ‘contempt’ for women and saying he acted ‘unburdened by the rules of decent people.’
‘You were clever and, in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator,’ he said.
He added that Brand had shown ‘a casual and arrogant disregard for a woman’s right to say no to you,’ saying: ‘Fame meant you thought you could act how you like, when you like.’
Brand was sentenced on Monday to more than 10 years in prison
A court artist’s sketch shows Russell Brand speaking briefly with his wife Laura before he was taken to the cells
Prosecutors said Brand raped a young woman until she bled and assaulted three female strangers, in some instances just seconds after meeting them during the peak of his fame. One of the attacks took place shortly after he met pop star Katy Perry.
The court also heard that Brand, who once boasted he would continue pursuing sex until he achieved his ‘birthright orgasm,’ ignored women’s requests for him to stop.
In the rape case, prosecutors said Brand targeted a 21-year-old fan he had selected from the audience in 2009.
Brand, then 33, allegedly forced the woman face-down onto a pillow on his ‘enormous’ bed and removed his condom while raping her at his Hampstead home, leaving her struggling to breathe.
The woman was left bleeding from her anus. She later said Brand told her to ‘clean up the mess you’ve made’ before turning on the television to watch the science-fiction series Quantum Leap.
She attempted to clean herself up before a member of staff escorted her outside. A driver gave her tissues while taking her home. Fearing she may have contracted HIV, she underwent testing, which produced a negative result.
Brand’s defense lawyer argued that his client had ‘gone too far and overrode the consent that had been given.’
The barrister also claimed Brand was now ‘fundamentally a different person’ and questioned the vulnerability of some of the women involved in the case.
Prosecutors said Brand attacked one victim shortly after meeting pop star Katy Perry. The pair are pictured together in 2010Â
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Brand supporters displayed a sign outside the courthouse on Monday as he was sentenced
On Thursday, a jury found Brand guilty of one count of rape.
He was also convicted of sexually assaulting an MTV employee at a party in a Soho bar in 2004 and of assaulting a Capital Radio employee after meeting her in a corridor in 2005.
Brand, a born-again Christian who said he wore the ‘full armor of God’ in court, was acquitted of two additional rape charges and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.
At Monday’s hearing, Brand wore a dark gray suit, black waistcoat and white shirt. He was heard praying and clutching the crucifix around his neck as he listened to statements from the victims.
The first victim to speak was the MTV employee, who said the incident had left her ‘extremely upset and traumatized.’
‘It really affected how I viewed myself. I didn’t have any respect for myself and got into situations with toxic men as I didn’t have any self-worth,’ she said.
‘I literally lost any love for myself for a long time thinking that I was damaged goods.’Â
Brand, a born-again Christian who said he wore the ‘full armor of God’ in court, was heard praying and gripping the crucifix around his neck during the victims’ impact statements
The Capital Radio employee said in her statement that Brand’s sexual offense had ‘had a lasting impact’ on her life, even though she believed she had successfully buried the memory.
In a victim impact statement read at Southwark Crown Court, she said: ‘This has had a lasting impact on my life even if I thought that I had successfully buried what happened. I had a strong adverse reaction, especially to his voice.’
Hi, I’m Alex Matthews, Editor of The Crime Desk.
Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and three sexual assaults, and our reporters Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull were in court every day to cover the case. They spoke with Detective Inspector Laura Nelson, who explained why the women who accused Brand in the documentary were not involved in the rape trial.
The incident affected her work, although she said she had ‘tried for so long to be strong and carry on – business as usual.’
She added: ‘However, over the years hearing his voice on television, on social media or seeing his image made me jump.’
She said she was advised to seek therapy for ‘serious anxiety.’Â
The statement from Brand’s rape victim was then read by prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC. The woman said Brand’s public profile had made it difficult for her to speak out.
‘The defendant’s public profile had a significant impact on me – because of who he was and the influence he held, I did not feel confident speaking openly about what had happened.
‘I did not know who I could trust or confide in. I felt that if I reported him, I would not be believed.
‘His fame, wealth and influence created a power imbalance which made me feel powerless.
‘I did not have the confidence to challenge someone who appeared so powerful, rich and influential. His public profile meant that he remained present in my life even when I wanted to move on.
‘I would regularly encounter references to him in the media, which made it difficult to escape reminders of what had happened.’
Justice Joel Bennathan said Brand believed he could commit sexual offenses ‘with impunity’ and had used his fame, influence and power to satisfy his ‘voracious’ and violent appetite for gratification
During sentencing, Justice Bennathan told Brand that ‘imprisonment will deprive your children of the presence of their father, that sad loss to them however is caused by your serious offending.’
The judge said mitigating factors included Brand’s lack of previous convictions, the fact that ’17 years had passed’ since his final offense and the way he had lived since then, including helping people ‘wrestling with addictions.’
Police have confirmed that investigations continue into two other allegations of rape against Brand.
Pre-trial hearings revealed that one complaint was made by a woman who dated Brand when he was 30 and she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl.
Additional women approached police after Brand was first accused, and prosecutors are considering whether further charges should be brought.
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