The key facts

  • Brand was sentenced to 10 years and 6 months in prison, with seven years expected to be served
  • Six more women spoke to The Times and in the Netflix film about alleged incidents
  • London police are reviewing new potential criminal complaints

What happened

British actor and comedian Russell Brand, sentenced this week by a London court to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and three counts of sexual assault, has found himself at the centre of new allegations. Six more women told The Times about alleged sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour; the newspaper notes that these allegations could not be published until the criminal proceedings had concluded. At the same time, the documentary 'Russell Brand: Open Secret' was released on Netflix, featuring accounts from Brand's former partners. Brand denies any sexual contact without consent; according to the publications, he was acquitted of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault.

The women's accounts

In the Netflix film, a woman under the pseudonym Emily (played in the film by an actress) said she was in a relationship with Brand in her twenties and once 'literally begged' him to stop when he refused to use a condom: according to her, he pinned her arms above her head and used force. Brand's ex-girlfriend Jordan Martin claims he attacked her in a hotel and smashed her phone after she called a former partner; she also described jealousy and control, including a demand to brush her teeth 'until her gums bled'. The Times and the Sunday Times report that at least five sexual partners described being pressured into brushing their teeth, including the fifth complainant in the trial, in whose rape case from 2009 Brand was convicted. Among the new statements to the newspaper are accounts from women under the pseudonyms Alex, Vicky and Zoe: Alex said she asked him to stop because there was no condom and later received apologies in person and by text message; Vicky says she twice asked him to stop because of pain, after which Brand said that 'everything was consensual'; Zoe described aggressive behaviour in a hotel.

What happens next

Brand is being held at Wandsworth prison. According to the police, he is already a subject of an investigation into allegations of rape by two more women, and the Metropolitan Police are 'assessing' information from several people who contacted it during the trial to report information or potential criminal complaints. BBC News contacted his legal representatives for comment on the new allegations; no response is given in the publication. Brand is expected in practice to serve seven years of the imposed sentence.

British actor and comedian Russell Brand arriving at Southwark Crown Court earlier this month. He is wearing a white scarf, dark sunglasses and wavingImage source, Reuters
British actor and comedian Russell Brand arriving at Southwark Crown Court last month wearing sunglassesJemima Khan (L) and Russell Brand pictured at a press event at Cafe de Paris in London in June 2014Katherine Ryan in a dressCourt artist drawing by Elizabeth Cook of Russell Brand in the dock at Southwark Crown Court, London, watched by his wife Laura, bodyguard and his father Ronald with other supporters, listening to victim impact statements during the sentencing hearing after he was found guilty of of raping a woman in 2009, as well as sexually assaulting female TV and radio workers between 2004 and 2009. Picture date: Monday November 9, 2026. PA PhotoRussell Brand, all in black apart from a grey silk scarf, performs on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in 2006