Jurors began deliberating Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in Russell Brand's rape and sexual assault trial after three weeks of testimony at London's Southwark Crown Court, bringing the seven criminal charges against the British comedian one step closer to a verdict.
Judge Joel Bennathan sent the 12-member jury, consisting of eight men and four women, to consider the allegations after reviewing the evidence and instructing them to reach unanimous verdicts. Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault involving six women.
Before deliberations began, Bennathan summarized testimony presented during the trial, concentrating on evidence relevant to the charges. He reminded jurors that they were responsible for assessing the witnesses and deciding whether prosecutors had proved their case.
The allegations involve incidents between 1999 and 2009, during Brand's rise as a comedian and television personality. Six women testified about encounters they described as rape or sexual assault, while Brand disputed their accounts and maintained that all his sexual experiences were consensual.
During Friday's closing argument, prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC urged jurors to believe the complainants, arguing that Brand repeatedly disregarded women's refusals and treated their consent as irrelevant to his sexual demands.
Defense attorney Ian Winter KC countered on Monday that media coverage had influenced the women's accounts, particularly a 2023 Channel 4 documentary investigating allegations against the comedian. He argued that publicity surrounding the accusations undermined the reliability of their testimony.
Brand also testified in his own defense, acknowledging a history of promiscuity and describing his past conduct as "reckless philandering." He admitted behaving selfishly during his years in the entertainment industry but denied committing rape or sexual assault, insisting that consent had always been essential to his encounters.
The jury must consider each of the seven charges separately, weighing the women's testimony against Brand's account and the other evidence presented during the proceedings.
Jurors deliberated for approximately an hour on Tuesday before being dismissed for the day. They are scheduled to return to Southwark Crown Court at 10 a.m. Wednesday, November 4, to continue considering the charges.
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