In the UK, Russell Brand's conviction echoes #MeToo and the Weinstein case
British media investigations in 2023 led to the trial of the former presenter and comedian, who was sentenced Monday to 10 years and 6 months in prison for rape and sexual assault. The media also played a significant role in the arrest of Thomas Markle, father of Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, on child sexual abuse charges.
British comedian and actor Russell Brand was sentenced in the United Kingdom on Monday to 10 years and six months in prison. ABC News AU reports that Brand, 51, was convicted of the rape and sexual assault of four women between 2004 and 2009, though he was acquitted of two other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
CBS News states the sentence was for the rape of one woman in 2009 and the sexual assault of three others. Brand will not be eligible for release until he serves at least seven years, or two-thirds of his sentence, according to ABC News AU.
Public figures including Bob Geldof and Dannii Minogue have spoken out against Brand over the past two decades, according to The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. Jemima Goldsmith, who dated Brand between 2013 and 2014, released a statement following the sentencing accusing him of violence, coercive control, and abuse. Ms. Goldsmith stated she had to call the police to remove him from her home during a violent incident in 2014, though she chose not to press charges at that time.
Brief written by urgent.news from Le Monde English, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC News AU, CBS News — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
