Disgraced actor Russell Brand was sentenced Monday to 10 and a half years in prison for raping a woman in 2009 and sexually assaulting three others.
The disgraced British television personality and Hollywood actor was convicted last week on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, but acquitted on two other counts of rape and an attempted indecent assault charge.
A jury of eight men and four women in Southwark Crown Court, in South London, found Brand guilty of groping a woman’s breasts at a London bar in 2004, sexually assaulting a woman at a London radio station in 2004 and 2005, and raping a woman at his west London home in 2009.
The judge, Joel Bennathan, called Brand a “sexual predator” in his sentencing remarks, saying he displayed “staggering arrogance” and believed that “fame meant you could act ⁠how you liked, when you liked.”
For the rape he was sentenced to nine years, plus 18 months for the sexual assaults. Brand is expected to serve at least seven years in prison, and the rest of his sentence under heavy restrictions, such as wearing a tag.
Six women made the allegations against him, spanning from 1999 to 2009.
Before the sentencing Monday, victim impact statements from the women involved in Brand’s crimes were read out in court, three by the prosecutor and one by one of the women, who was hidden from everyone but the judge by a screen.
“I’ve been in shock and turmoil for years. I was extremely upset and traumatized. I didn’t have any respect for myself,” the woman reading her statement said, according to CBS News partner network BBC.
“I was thinking I was damaged goods – scared of giving off signals that could be taken the wrong way.”
Another statement, read out by the prosecutor, called Brand “a sexual predator who has no remorse … I just hope he is not allowed to hurt any more women.”
A third statement, from the woman who Brand was convicted of raping in 2009, said she “struggled to sleep and eat” and “cope with my emotions” after the attack.
Before the sentence was announced, Brand’s lawyer Ian Winter KC said his client was a “fundamentally different person today” compared to when the rape took place 17 years ago. He called the rape a “momentary total failure to respect [the woman’s] consent.”
Brand was denied bail after the conviction and remained in custody ahead of Monday’s sentencing, as the London judge rejected his request to be released on bail to spend time with his wife and children before Monday’s hearing.
“I regret the hardship caused to the children, of course,” judge Bennathan said of his decision Thursday, according to the BBC. “But the hardship has been caused by serious criminal offending by their father.”
Following the verdicts being handed down last week, the BBC reported that police were investigating Brand over additional rape allegations made by two women — one of whom was 16 years old at the time of the alleged incident. The head of London’s Metropolitan Police said Friday that he “wouldn’t be surprised ‌if many ⁠more [women] came forward.”
When the guilty verdict was read out, Brand closed his eyes. When bail was denied he said, “I’m good, I’m good, I’m good,” before being led away.
His lawyers argued that the victims’ cases were weakened by the fact they had only gone to the police years after the encounters.
Brand, who had pleaded not guilty to all charges, suggested the claims were part of a coordinated attack on his character due to his prominence as an online wellness influencer and political commentator.
He admitted to leading a promiscuous life and being obsessed with sex as a young man, but claimed he never forced anyone to do anything against their will.
During the trial, a prosecutor described Brand as a ruthless and manipulative sexual predator.

Dustin Hoffman believed he was going to die when he was discovered in bed with a married woman by her irate husband.
“I was having an affair with a married woman,” the Oscar winner revealed on a Nov. 9 episode of Conan O’Brien’s podcast. “And she thought that once her husband went to sleep, that he stayed asleep.”
The “Tootsie” star, who said that the illicit relationship happened when he was a young man, was invited over by the woman after her husband fell asleep.
“And there we are having a festival of sorts and he walked in with a gun,” he shared. “And he pointed at me. And he said, I remember what he says, ‘Get out, get out.’”
Hoffman, 89, vividly remembered what it was like having a gun drawn on him and thinking that he was “gonna die.”
“When you have a gun pointed at you, first of all, that hole is much bigger than the actual hole,” he recalled “And you realize how, any second, any second he’s going to pull that trigger, because his finger is on the trigger. And you think … and you realize, it’s it … I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die the next second.”
“And you do anything, you will do anything, you know, to avoid getting killed.”
Hoffman is currently promoting his memoir, “Look at Me.”
In a previous excerpt, Hoffman revealed that making “The Graduate” had been a terrible experience, writing that director Mike Nichols became “an entirely different person” once shooting began.
Hoffman remembered, “His mood would shift dramatically. I don’t remember the scene, but I will never forget Mike’s acid voice saying to me, after one take: ‘What were you doing?’ … Do the opposite of that.’”
Nevertheless, the movie was a huge hit and earned the actor his first Oscar nomination.

Toukie Smith, who played Eva Rawley on the NBC sitcom 227, recurred on Miami Vice, appeared in films and was the former partner of Robert De Niro, has died. She was 74.
Her twins Airyn and Julian said Smith died November 4 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. “Toukie was a force of nature,” her children said in a statement. “She left an indelible mark on our hearts and on everyone lucky enough to know her.”
Born on September 25, 1952, in Philadelphia, Smith’s first screen credits was a recurring role on NBC’s popular cop drama Miami Vice. She played Angie, the assistant to Caitlin Davies (Sheena Easton), an ill-fated pop singer whose bodyguard and eventual husband is Sonny Crockett (Don Johnson). Smith appeared in three Season 4 episodes in 1987-88.
Smith went on to appear in the 1988 feature Me and Him before landing her most famous role. She guested on the Marla Gibbs-led 227 late in its penultimate Season 4 and was promoted to series regular for the final season in 1989-90. Her Eva Rawley was an artist who becomes the manager of 227 Lexington Place before leaving the job and working at an art gallery. Smith appeared in two dozen episodes of the series.
After 227 wrapped, Smith would have roles in such 1990s features as The Preacher’s Wife, I Like It Like That, Joe’s Apartment and Goosed. She also was a model, working with the likes of Alvaro, Jean-Paul Goude, Patrick Kelly, Antonio Lopez and her brother, Willi Smith, a costume designer whose credits include the 1998 Spike Lee film School Daze
She was De Niro were partners from 1988-96, and they shared twin children Airyn and Julian, who were conceived by in vitro fertilization and delivered via surrogate.
She is survived by her children, brother Norman Smith-Harllee, nephew Eliazar Smith-Harllee.

Singer CJ Beach tragically died Saturday in a car accident in Florida.
The rising country music star from Tallahassee died after his car ran off a road at 1:15 a.m. and struck several trees, the Florida Highway Patrol told the Tallahassee Democrat.
Beach was not wearing a seatbelt at the time and was pronounced dead at the scene, the outlet reported.
He was 22 years old.
Beach had performed at The Salty Donkey in Panacea, Florida, on Friday — a restaurant and tiki bar — just hours before his car accident.
His father, Charlie, confirmed his death in an emotional Facebook post Sunday.
“I appreciate all of the outpouring feelings and thoughts about my son CJ,” he wrote. “Seeing all the post with pictures and videos kills me, but I know he was loved by many and will be missed.”
Charlie then advocated for fans to urge county commissioners to install warning lights and signs where his son’s fatal car accident occurred.
“That is what I ask for in memory of my son CJ,” he concluded. “Please help me out.”
Beach’s last Instagram post was on Nov. 3, when he shared video of himself playing his song “Cigarettes” on guitar and singing.
The comment section is now flooded with condolences from fans.
Radio station X101.5 Tallahassee paid tribute to Beach on Facebook, sharing video of him performing at the Deadmen Walking Festival in Crawfordville, Florida, in April.
Beach founded the annual event in Wakulla County, Florida, in 2022, which supports independent and local artists across Wakulla County and Tallahassee.
The festival features a mix of rock, country, and new-age music.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the tragic passing of one of the most talented young musicians from our area in a long time. RIP Cj Beach 💔,” the post reads.
“Sending our condolences to everyone in the local music community, CJ’s friends and family, and anyone who was ever lucky enough to hear him play live,” the post continued.
“Here is a short clip from this past April’s Deadmen Walking festival in Crawfordville, which CJ organized and brought the community and several musicians together for an amazing night of live music.
“Rest easy, CJ,” the post concluded.

Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss are closer than ever after a painful falling out.
The former best friends shocked fans when they were spotted together at the Kansas City Chiefs game Sunday, but a source exclusively told Page Six the two are now closer than they’ve been in years after putting their past differences behind them.
“Taylor and Karlie were attached at the hip for years. They did everything together, so when their friendship started to fall apart, it was a big change,” the insider said.
“There were things that happened over the years that created distance between them.”
The source explained that the Grammy winner, 36, and former Victoria’s Secret Angel, 34, went through a period when they barely spent time together.
“There was definitely a period when their friendship cooled off. They weren’t spending time together like they used to. They just weren’t close anymore,” the insider said.
“But that wasn’t permanent. They patched things up a few years ago and have both moved past what happened,” the source explained.
“They’re in a good place now, and Taylor inviting Karlie to her wedding was reflective of that,” the source said of Swift’s July 2026 wedding to Travis Kelce at NYC’s Madison Square Garden. “Taylor genuinely wanted her there for such an important moment in her life.”
The insider added that the pair’s recent public reunion wasn’t the beginning of their reconciliation.
“They’ve been cool with each other for a while now, but things are definitely better between them than they’ve been in a long time, and they’ve gotten a lot closer again.”
Reps for Swift and Kloss did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
Swift and Kloss sent fans into a frenzy Sunday when they were photographed sitting together in a VIP suite at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., while watching the singer’s husband and the Chiefs take on the New York Jets.
The former frenemies were seen cheering and hugging during the game, with Swift’s mom, Andrea and Travis’ mom, Donna, also joining them.
Their outing came four months after Kloss attended Swift and Kelce’s star-studded July wedding alongside her husband, Joshua Kushner.
The model later addressed the nuptials during an appearance on the “Today” show, telling the hosts she preferred to keep her friends’ personal lives private.
“But what I will say is that they’re an amazing couple and I’m so happy for them,” she said.
Swift and Kloss first became close in 2013 after the singer performed at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.
Their friendship quickly blossomed, with the two frequently spotted spending time together in New York City and attending star-studded events.
They even graced the cover of Vogue together in 2015, the same year Kloss appeared in Swift’s famous “Bad Blood” music video alongside several members of the pop star’s celebrity girl squad.
However, rumors of a falling out began circulating years later as the once inseparable friends were rarely seen together.
Speculation intensified when Swift failed to attend Kloss’ wedding celebrations with Kushner in 2018 and 2019.
In August 2019, Page Six reported that their friendship had become strained after Kloss allegedly took advantage of Swift’s hospitality by inviting friends to the singer’s home without permission.
A rep for Kloss denied the claim at the time.
Despite the rumors, Kloss previously insisted the two remained friends.
In 2018, she told the New York Times that she and Swift still spoke frequently, adding, “Don’t believe everything you read.”
Years later, Kloss surprised fans when she attended one of Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour concerts at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in August 2023.