Jurors in London begin deliberations in Russell Brand trial

Jurors at London’s Southwark Crown Court began weighing their verdicts on Tuesday in the trial of actor and comedian Russell Brand. Judge Joel Bennathan instructed the panel that they must reach a unanimous decision before returning to the court.

“I can only accept a verdict that is the verdict of all 12 of you,” Bennathan told the jurors. After roughly an hour of private discussion, the group was dismissed for the night with orders to avoid discussing the case with anyone else.

The legal process has spanned three weeks. Six women, who do not know each other, accused Brand of sexual misconduct between 1999 and 2009. Prosecutors described Brand as a sexual predator during that decade, citing alleged incidents in a hotel room, the London offices of MTV, a bar toilet, a radio station, a recording studio, and his home.

Brand, 51, pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of attempted indecent assault. While on bail, he attended every court session, accompanied by his wife, Laura Gallacher. In his own testimony, Brand admitted to an obsession with sex in his younger years but maintained that all encounters were consensual.

The defense team argued that the claimants delayed reporting the incidents for years. They stated that the cases were weakened by the timing of the police reports, which came after a 2023 documentary aired anonymous allegations against Brand. Ian Winter, Brand’s lawyer, told the jury that the documentary had corrupted the well of justice.

In a closing statement on Monday, Winter urged the jury to separate Brand’s personal conduct from criminal intent. “It is not criminal to treat women unkindly before, during or after sex,” Winter said. He added that being disrespectful or rude is not a crime, noting that Brand had an immense amount of sex and none of it was unlawful.

Winter concluded his remarks by asking the jury to ignore moral judgments. “Disgusting, distasteful, immoral, who cares?” he said. “It’s irrelevant to your consideration.” The jury will return to the courtroom to continue their deliberations.