Jury starts deciding verdict in Russell Brand trial

Jurors began deliberating on Tuesday in the London trial of entertainer Russell Brand.

Judge Joel Bennathan instructed the jury at Southwark Crown Court that they must reach a unanimous decision. The judge told the group, “I can only accept a verdict that is the verdict of all 12 of you.” After spending about an hour in the jury room, the jurors were sent home for the night. They received a warning not to discuss the case with anyone else.

Six women have accused Brand of sexual misconduct. The alleged incidents occurred between 1999 and 2009. The women do not know each other. Prosecutors described Brand as a sexual predator during this period. They argued he attacked the women in various locations, including a hotel room, MTV offices in London, a bar toilet, a radio station, a recording studio, and his home.

Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of attempted indecent assault. He is free on bail and has attended court daily with his wife, Laura Gallacher. During his testimony, Brand acknowledged an obsession with sex in his younger years but maintained that all encounters were consensual.

Defense lawyer Ian Winter argued that the cases were weakened by the delay in reporting. The women went to police years after the alleged assaults. This happened after a 2023 documentary aired with anonymous allegations against Brand. Winter stated that the “well of justice had been corrupted and contaminated” by that broadcast.

In closing arguments on Monday, Winter told the jury to distinguish between Brand's behavior and criminal acts. He noted, “It is not criminal to treat women unkindly before, during or after sex.” He added that being disrespectful or rude is not a crime. Winter claimed Brand “had an immense amount of sex and none of it was unlawful.”

Brand rose to fame in the early 2000s as a stand-up comedian. He hosted television and radio programs and appeared in Hollywood films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.” He was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry. In recent years, Brand moved to Florida and built a large online following through videos on wellness, conspiracy theories, and religious devotion.