Police say Russell Brand is being investigated over rape allegations made by two more women. This follows a three-week trial at Southwark Crown Court where a jury of eight men and four women found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Det Supt Andy Furphy, from the Metropolitan Police, said he hoped other women would gain "courage" and "confidence" from these guilty verdicts. He noted that more victims are likely to come forward following the conviction.
The investigation into Brand, who was described in court as a "sexual predator" and "ruthless," began shortly after allegations first emerged in the media in September 2023. At that time, The Times, Sunday Times, and Channel 4's Dispatches programme reported that four women had accused him of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse, claims which Brand strongly denied.
The Metropolitan Police established a dedicated team for the investigation, named Operation Actinolite. Officers have since taken more than 340 witness statements, including those from Brand's former employers, ex-colleagues, and associates. To build the case, one officer was assigned to review Brand's books, stand-up routines, DVDs, and podcasts.
Det Supt Furphy explained that the high profile of Brand and the intense media scrutiny presented challenges. Furthermore, the allegations were "non-recent," with some dating back 27 years. Because there was no CCTV or forensic evidence, police had to focus on where victims were at the time, who they spoke to afterward, and what other materials might lend weight to their stories.
During the investigation, Brand was interviewed under caution three times between the start of the probe and early April 2025. In each instance, he provided a prepared statement claiming he did not recognize the complainants, did not recall the incidents, and maintained that any sexual activity would have been consensual. He answered "no comment" to further questions.
In early April 2025, Brand was charged with one count of rape, one count of oral rape, two charges of sexual assault, and one allegation of indecent assault, all relating to women who came forward after the initial Channel 4 documentary. The indecent assault charge was later changed to attempted indecent assault during the trial.
