Russell Brand sentenced after rape, sexual assault convictions in UK
· Fox News
Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault.
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During sentencing on Monday, Judge Mr. Justice Joel Bennathan said Brand had demonstrated a "casual and arrogant disregard" for women’s right to refuse his sexual advances.
"About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous," Bennathan said. "You were clever — and in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator."
The judge described one of Brand’s sexual assaults as "outrageous and possibly laddish, but also a criminal offense," adding that Brand’s behavior reflected his belief that "fame meant you could act how you liked, when you liked, unhindered by the rules by which decent people live."
RUSSELL BRAND FOUND GUILTY OF ONE COUNT OF RAPE AND THREE COUNTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT
Bennathan also said Brand’s conduct showed a "casual arrogant disregard of anyone’s right to say no," and emphasized that women retain the right to refuse sexual contact "wherever they go, indeed whatever they drink."
The judge said the victims suffered "profound and lasting" consequences, including trauma, humiliation, addiction and difficulty trusting others. He also praised the women for their "determination and bravery" after they endured Brand's assertions that they had lied about the encounters or consented to them.
Bennathan said he considered Brand’s lack of significant prior convictions, the 17 years that had passed since the offenses and his work helping people struggling with addiction. However, he said good character and exemplary conduct should not normally be given significant weight in cases involving serious sexual offenses.
WATCH: RUSSELL BRAND SENTENCED TO MORE THAN 10 YEARS IN PRISON
Last week, Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault in the U.K. He denied the charges and was acquitted of two additional rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.
He was immediately taken into custody following the verdict, according to the BBC.
Brand, 51, was accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault involving six women between 1999 and 2009.
One woman he was convicted of sexually assaulting gave an impact statement during Monday's proceedings, while three others submitted written statements to the prosecutor.
"For many years as his star was rising it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, being celebrated for his disgusting behavior against women like it was all a joke," she said. "There were many times I felt visibly sick at the sight of him parading around thinking he can get away with anything."
The woman spoke out of view of the courtroom to preserve her identity.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones read statements by the other three women. Brand was convicted of sexually assaulting the first woman at a London radio station in 2005.
"Since the sexual assault ... Russell Brand has managed to move on and even forget," she wrote. "Over the years, hearing his voice on television, on social media or seeing his image made me jump."
According to Sky News, Brand acknowledged that he had been "reckless" and used his fame to pursue sexual relationships, but insisted that the encounters were consensual. He also told the jury that consent was "fundamental, essential and necessary."
Brand has denied forcing any of the women to engage in sexual activity against their will.
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Prosecutors alleged that Brand committed the offenses against six women over a 10-year period. The women testified in court about alleged encounters at a hotel, a bar, a radio station, a workplace and Brand’s home.
According to a Metropolitan Police press release, detectives began investigating Brand after allegations were made public by U.K. media outlets Channel 4 and The Sunday Times in September 2023.
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The outlets launched a joint investigation into the allegations, resulting in a lengthy article on the Times' website, as well as an episode of Channel 4's documentary series, "Dispatches," called "Russell Brand: In Plain Sight." Both contained a number of anonymous complaints, with women accusing Brand of physical and emotional abuse and bullying, as well as some instances of sexual assault.
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Police video released Thursday, Nov. 5 and obtained by Fox News Digital shows Brand defending his sexual history during questioning by London's Metropolitan Police.
During a December 2023 interview, Brand sat alongside his attorney and read a lengthy prepared statement to detectives, insisting that his past sexual encounters were consensual.
"As I’ve repeatedly stated publicly … I led a very promiscuous life in the past, which I’ve spent years openly denouncing. I’ve never engaged in nonconsensual sexual activity," Brand said.
Brand also criticized a September 2023 media investigation that brought allegations against him into the public spotlight.
He described the reporting as "defamatory and fictitious," suggesting that consensual encounters had been "invented or reimagined" as sexual misconduct.
WATCH: RUSSELL BRAND POLICE INTERVIEW FOOTAGE RELEASED AFTER RAPE CONVICTION
In a video posted to X last year, Brand thanked his fans for messages of support, then criticized the British government and legal system before addressing the charges directly.
He said that he "was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord. I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile, but what I never was was a rapist. I've never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes."
Brand added, "Of course, I'm now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I'm incredibly grateful for that."
Fox News Digital's Janelle Ash and Stephanie Giang-Paunon contributed to this report.