Russell Brand, a rape and sexual assault convict, has been a drug and alcohol addict in the past; here’s what we know about his notorious past

Actor Russell Brand was convicted on Thursday (November 5, 2026) of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. He was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The actor was acquitted of two other rape charges and attempted indecent assault.

Following the conviction, the British actor and comedian is set to face a “significant” prison term when he is sentenced Monday, Judge Joel Bennathan said, according to multiple news outlets, including TMZ and the BBC.

He was taken into custody after the judge rejected a bail request to let him see his kids because of the possibility he might flee. “I regret the hardship caused to the children, of course,” the judge said, as quoted by news agency AP. “But the hardship has been caused by serious criminal offending by their father.”


Brand, 51, denied the charges. According to the news agency, he testified that he was obsessed with sex as a young man. He even stated that once he led a promiscuous life but had never forced anyone to do something against their will.

Russell Brand’s struggle with alcohol and drug addiction

Besides sexual assault and rape charges, Brand’s troubled past also includes battles with drug addiction and alcohol. According to SKY News, he has been a heroin addict in the past. The comedian has mentioned drug addiction in his 2007 autobiography, "My Booky Wook."

He also brought the matter in front of the Home Affairs Committee in 2012. Back then, he had informed the committee he became addicted because of emotional and psychological problems. "I was sad, lonely, unhappy, detached and drugs and alcohol for me seemed like a solution to that problem," he said, as quoted by Sky News.


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"It wasn't until I had access to abstinence-based recovery that I was able to change my behavior and significantly reduce, all but obliterate, my criminal activity, apart from the occasional skirmish," he added.

The comedian went hot to fame in the early 2000s. He hosted television programs and his own BBC radio show. He also ventured into the world of acting, appearing in Hollywood films including “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek," and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.