{
  "id": 18438608,
  "title": "Will Russell Brand be the last predatory celeb to hide in the open? Depends on us, not him",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/will-russell-brand-be-the-last-predatory-celeb-to-hide-in-the-open-18438608",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-06T04:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Age",
    "slug": "the-age",
    "url": "https://www.theage.com.au/culture/celebrity/will-russell-brand-be-the-last-predatory-celeb-to-hide-in-the-open-depends-on-us-not-him-20261106-p61brl.html?ref=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been found guilty by a London jury of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. The verdicts were delivered unanimously at Southwark Crown Court following a four-week trial. Brand, a 51-year-old who has transitioned from acting to becoming a conservative religious online guru, was acquitted of two rapes and one count of attempted indecent assault involving two other women. Judge Joel Bennathan warned Brand that he faces a “significant custodial term.”\n\nBrand has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Monday. According to KBC and Malay Mail, Brand showed no emotion and closed his eyes as the verdicts were read. The Metropolitan Police are investigating further allegations of rape involving two other women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl. A spokesperson for the Met stated that Brand had been interviewed under caution regarding these allegations.\n\nThe offences for which Brand was convicted occurred nearly two decades ago. The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald noted that he was previously named “shagger of the year” three times by The Sun newspaper and was enabled by powerful systems and the people for whom he made money.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "Police thank victims for their bravery after Russell Brand conviction.",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/police-thank-victims-for-their-bravery-after-russell-brand-conviction-18366896",
        "published": "2026-11-05T20:34:32.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "#SHOWBIZ: Russell Brand guilty of rape, three sexual assaults",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/showbiz-russell-brand-guilty-of-rape-three-sexual-assaults",
        "published": "2026-11-06T02:08:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "KBC",
        "title": "Media personality Russell Brand guilty of rape, three assaults",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/media-personality-russell-brand-guilty-of-rape-three-assaults",
        "published": "2026-11-06T02:37:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Conversation AU",
        "title": "Justice, accountability, more questions: what Russell Brand’s guilty verdict means for victim-survivors",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/justice-accountability-more-questions-what-russell-brands-guilty",
        "published": "2026-11-06T03:15:42.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}