LONDON — Russell Brand, the British actor and comedian, has been sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after he was found guilty of rape and sexual assault.
Brand, 51, was convicted Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault between 2004 and 2009. He was acquitted of two additional charges of rape and a charge of attempted indecent assault.
The judge, Joel Bennathan, said in a sentencing hearing at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Monday that while Brand was “becoming famous” 20 years ago, he had “also become a sexual predator.”
The judge added that Brand had “a casual and arrogant disregard for a woman’s right to say no.”
Brand will serve at least two-thirds of his sentence and then be released on license, the judge said, which is in line with sentencing guidelines for England and Wales.
The sentence followed a four-week trial during which the court heard how Brand, best known for his roles in films such as “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek,” used his influence to prey on women.
Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones told the court during the trial that Brand was a “ruthless, calculating and manipulative” sexual predator who treated women as a “disposable commodity.”
Brand, who pleaded not guilty last year, testified that he was wrong to have used his fame and success to “facilitate” sexual activity with women, but he told jurors it was consensual.
After his convictions, London’s Metropolitan Police confirmed he was under investigation for two other rape allegations.
During sentencing Monday, Bennathan told Brand his fame had protected him until a 2023 investigation by the Times of London newspaper and Channel 4 revealed his alleged sexual misconduct, which the judge said had “empowered a number of women to come forward and tell their stories.”
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