Russell Brand found guilty of rape and sexual assault.

British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been convicted of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a high-profile trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.

The 51-year-old was found guilty on Thursday, 5 November 2026, of four offences involving four women, following a four-week trial. The jury acquitted Brand of two additional rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault. The offences for which he was convicted occurred between 2004 and 2009, during a period when Brand's career was expanding across television, radio and film.

Brand had pleaded not guilty to all charges, maintaining that the encounters were consensual or disputing the allegations.

A complex historical investigation

The Metropolitan Police investigation began following allegations published in September 2023 by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4's Dispatches. Detectives interviewed more than 100 witnesses, collected over 400 witness statements and reviewed more than 1,400 documents. Prosecutors faced significant challenges because of the time elapsed since the offences, including limited forensic and digital evidence. The Crown Prosecution Service said the case demonstrated the importance of examining patterns of offending and challenging assumptions about how victims respond to sexual violence.

Following the verdict, Brand was remanded in custody.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday, 9 November 2026, with the judge indicating that a substantial custodial sentence is expected.

The convictions mark a significant conclusion to one of Britain's most closely watched recent criminal trials, highlighting the ability of the justice system to prosecute serious sexual offences many years after they occurred.