WARNING: This article may be distressing for individuals who have experienced sexual violence or are acquainted with someone affected by it.
According to an investigation by The Times, a newspaper based in the U.K., six additional women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct and predatory behavior against Russell Brand, following his recent conviction for rape and sexual assault.
The 51-year-old former actor and comedian was sentenced to over a decade in prison on Monday after being found guilty of raping a woman and committing three sexual assaults between 2004 and 2009.
In a joint report by The Times and Sunday Times released on Friday, six more women recounted experiences of non-consensual encounters with Brand, which included incidents of rape and sexual harassment.
This report coincided with the launch of a Netflix documentary about Brand, titled Open Secret, which explores the longstanding rumors regarding his disturbing behavior throughout his career.
One woman shared with The Times that Brand continued to have intercourse with her after she noticed he was not using a condom and asked him to stop. She claimed the assault took place during a tumultuous relationship with the actor in the late 2000s, during which Brand later texted her to apologize.
“I rationalized it in my mind by telling myself: at least he acknowledged it,” she recounted to The Times.
Comedian and actor-turned-influencer Russell Brand was sentenced to more than ten and a half years in prison for rape and sexual assault by a British judge who described Brand as a sexual predator who displayed ‘staggering arrogance.’
Another woman recounted meeting Brand in 2007 at one of his performances when she was 19 years old, stating that during a sexual encounter, she informed him that she was experiencing pain, yet he persisted.
“It escalated, and it became exceedingly painful. I said ‘stop,’ but he did not stop,” she explained.
She alleged that Brand remarked afterward: “This evening was consensual. No one did anything they didn’t wish to do.”
“And that was the moment I realized … I know that you understand what you did was wrong,” she stated.
The British actor and comedian was sentenced in a London court today to 10 and-a-half years behind bars. He was convicted last week of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Get the latest on CBCNews.ca, the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis.
Many women recounted meeting Brand at his comedy shows or in settings where they felt he exploited his celebrity status to lure them into hotel rooms, where his behavior would change dramatically.
One woman expressed to The Times her astonishment at how swiftly he transitioned from the “affable, charming, somewhat dandyish persona” he initially projected to a “very crude and straightforward individual” in his hotel room, where she alleged he suddenly groped her and thrust his hand down her pants.
“At the time, I never truly reflected on it as I do now, as sexual assault. I simply suppressed it,” she admitted.
CBC News has reached out to Brand’s attorney for a statement.
The Times reported that several interviewed women expressed concerns about not being believed if they came forward, reflecting fears similar to those raised by the woman who testified against him in court.
One of Brand’s victims, whom he anally raped in 2009, shared in a statement read by prosecutors during the trial that “his fame, wealth, and influence created a power disparity that left me feeling powerless.”
Allegations against Brand surfaced in 2023
Brand gained recognition on the U.K. comedy scene in the late 1990s and achieved international fame through film roles in comedies such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, and Arthur, alongside a widely publicized, albeit short-lived, marriage to singer Katy Perry.
The first reports of allegations of sexual misconduct against Brand appeared in 2023 from The Times, Sunday Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches. Following these revelations, additional women stepped forward to speak with law enforcement and media, prompting an investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police.
Brand poses alongside his then-fiancée, singer Katy Perry, at the premiere of the film Get Him to the Greek, at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles in 2010. (Chris Pizzello/The Associated Press)
During the recent four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London, Brand denied all allegations, asserting that any sexual interactions were consensual and describing himself as fixated on sex during the relevant years.
He was acquitted of two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
Brand is still under investigation for two additional alleged rapes, one of which involved a girl who was 16 years old at the time, according to police reports.
Comedian Russell Brand, once one of Britain’s most high-profile entertainers and briefly a movie star, was sentenced to more than 10½ years in prison on Nov. 9 after being convicted for rape and three sexual assaults.
Documentary explores Brand’s ascent to fame
The release of the Netflix documentary Open Secret also took place on Friday, which chronicles Brand’s journey from a successful comedian known for his controversial humor to his acting roles and eventual emergence as a far-right religious influencer — all amid escalating rumors that his unsettling persona might conceal real-life atrocities.
Jordan Martin, a former girlfriend featured in the documentary, portrayed Brand as controlling and abusive, asserting that he sexually assaulted her following an argument.
The documentary produced by 72 Films includes archival footage from early comedy acts and appearances, showcasing an on-stage Q&A where he introduced himself as a “bloke from Essex,” before shockingly stating, “I also raped someone once.”