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The Russell Brand I saw in court was not the flamboyant character most people will know

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The 51-year-old was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, while being acquitted of two rape charges and one attempted indecent assault charge. Throughout the trial, he remained largely impassive and polite in court, only occasionally sighing or closing his eyes during graphic victim testimony delivered from behind a screen. Outside the courtroom, he presented himself as a Christian influencer, frequently displaying religious items and approaching members of the press. He was also consistently accompanied to the courthouse by an unidentified lookalike.

Key points

  • Complainants testified behind screens, characterizing the defendant as an arrogant, ruthl…: Complainants testified behind screens, characterizing the defendant as an arrogant, ruthless, and manipulative offender.
  • Brand adopted a quiet and polite demeanor during the trial, contrasting sharply with his…: Brand adopted a quiet and polite demeanor during the trial, contrasting sharply with his former flamboyant public persona.
  • The defendant regularly presented himself as a Christian influencer throughout the trial…: The defendant regularly presented himself as a Christian influencer throughout the trial by carrying prayer beads and wearing crucifixes.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

This was not the Russell Brand most people will remember from the height of his noughties TV and comedy fame.

The flamboyant character with big gestures and provocative one-liners was not the man we saw in the courtroom.

During his rape trial, Brand mostly sat impassively in the dock, staring straight ahead. His stillness was striking. His face betrayed no visible emotion or reaction as the string of allegations against him were outlined in detail over several days.

After a three-week trial, the 51-year-old was found guilty of one charge of rape, three charges of sexual assault. He was found not guilty of two counts of rape and attempted indecent assault.

The allegations spanned a 10-year period from 1999 to 2009 and involved six female complainants.

The Brand on show in this trial seemed courteous to a fault.

Yet the polite, respectful man we saw holding doors open and thanking court staff was in striking contrast to how he was portayed in the evidence we heard.

His victims told of a brash, arrogant, sexually voracious man who did…

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