Back to News
Russell Brand sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault
Music News•November 9, 2026 at 4:08 PMNational

Russell Brand sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault

By Liberty Dunworth•NME Music News

“My thoughts today are with the women who came forward and made this investigation possible,” said Met Police, also describing the comedian and actor as a “dangerous offender” The post Russell Brand sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault appeared first on NME.

Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for the rape of one fan and for the sexual assault of three other women.

The 51-year-old comedian and actor was found guilty of the charges at Southwark Crown Court last Thursday (November 5). He was acquitted of two other rape charges and an attempted indecent assault.

All incidents he was found guilty of after a four-week trial took place between 2004 and 2009, and in court he was described as a manipulative sexual predator.

Now, he has been handed down a jail sentence of 10 years and six months, and the judge has said that he will likely serve two-thirds of that time. The term covers the four charges he was convicted of, with nine years being served for rape, eight months for the count seven sexual assault, 18 months for the count five sexual assault, and nine months for the count three sexual assault.

There has been a reduction in his sentence due to mitigating factors, with the judge highlighting how there has been 17 years since his last offence, with the actor and comedian “doing good, especially in assisting those wrestling with addictions” (via Sky News).

Judge Justice Bennathan said that while “good character” would not usually be used to “justify a reduction” in a prison sentence, he believes it “would be wrong to disregard mitigation altogether”. This led to him reducing the sentence he “otherwise have imposed for the rape” by one year.

Before the sentence was handed down, the judge acknowledged the “determination and bravery” of the women who spoke out at the trial, and told Brand that they “had to face being confronted and being told they had lied or twisted the truth” because of him.

Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan Police called the sentencing a “significant milestone” outside of court, and also described Brand as a “dangerous offender”.

“My thoughts today are with the women who came forward and made this investigation possible. Reporting sexual offences can be incredibly difficult, and they have shown immense bravery, dignity and resilience throughout what has been a lengthy investigation and challenging trial process,” Furphy said.

“The victims have had to revisit deeply traumatic experiences and endure significant public and media attention. I hope today’s outcome provides some measure of closure and allows them to continue rebuilding their lives,” he continued, also urging “anyone who has been a victim of rape or any other sexual offence” to come forward, regardless of who the perpetrator was or how long ago the incident took place.

It was first reported last year that Brand had been accused of three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. The allegations were brought by six women and the incidents were alleged to have all taken place between 1999 and 2009. Brand denied the accusations, saying the incidents had either been consensual, reinvented or re-imagined.

The court heard testimony from the six complainants, who all came forward ​to the police following reporting from Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times in September 2023.

For help, advice or more information regarding sexual harassment, assault and rape in the UK, visit theRape Crisis charity website. In the US, visit RAINN.

The post Russell Brand sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault appeared first on NME.

Related News

Ground Force and Homes Under the Hammer star Tommy Walsh dies aged 69
UK NewsEntertainmentMusic News

Ground Force and Homes Under the Hammer star Tommy Walsh dies aged 69

The building and DIY expert also appeared on TV shows like Challenge Tommy Walsh and Clean It, Fix It.

BBC Entertainment & Arts1 hour ago
‘Mass Effect’ composer reimagines leaked sequel trailer soundtrack: “It’s a love letter to the fans”
Music News

‘Mass Effect’ composer reimagines leaked sequel trailer soundtrack: “It’s a love letter to the fans”

Sam Hulick has spoken about his involvement in the scrapped ‘Mass Effect 5’ The post ‘Mass Effect’ composer reimagines...

NME Music News2 hours ago
‘A three-minute history of England written in the tour bus toilet’: how Tenpole Tudor made Swords of a Thousand Men
EntertainmentMusicMusic News

‘A three-minute history of England written in the tour bus toilet’: how Tenpole Tudor made Swords of a Thousand Men

‘Dressed as knights, we’d walk onstage to the sound of the William Tell overture. I’d quote Henry V and the crowd would...

The Guardian Music2 hours ago
Watch The Strokes hit out at Elon Musk and billionaire class in ‘Spitting Image’ puppet-filled ‘Lonely in the Future’ video
Music News

Watch The Strokes hit out at Elon Musk and billionaire class in ‘Spitting Image’ puppet-filled ‘Lonely in the Future’ video

Julian Casablancas and co. also appear in puppet form, with nods to ‘Last Nite’, ‘You Only Live Once’ and more The post...

NME Music News2 hours ago
‘Ocarina Of Time’ players are covering Linkin Park, ‘Macarena’, Sabrina Carpenter and more with in-game instrument function
Music News

‘Ocarina Of Time’ players are covering Linkin Park, ‘Macarena’, Sabrina Carpenter and more with in-game instrument function

Pop hits, movie soundtracks and gaming gems are all being reworked The post ‘Ocarina Of Time’ players are covering Lin...

NME Music News3 hours ago
Watch Deftones play unreleased ‘Eros’ rarity ‘Melanie’ for first time since 2008 at Dia De Los Deftones: “This song doesn’t exist”
Music News

Watch Deftones play unreleased ‘Eros’ rarity ‘Melanie’ for first time since 2008 at Dia De Los Deftones: “This song doesn’t exist”

The 2008 album was recorded at the time their late bassist Chi Cheng was involved in a car crash, and has remained unre...

NME Music News4 hours ago

More From These Categories

Music News

View All

No other articles in this category yet.