On November 5, 2026, actor and comedian Russell Brand was found guilty of horrendous crimes from two decades ago.
The controversy first erupted in September 2023, when a joint media exposé accused him of preying on four women dating back to 1999.
He was charged with five criminal offenses in April 2025, with charges related to two more women being added in December.
With Brand denying all allegations, a segment of the internet quickly rallied behind him, dismissing the claims as “false allegations.”
Among those who publicly voiced their support for Brand was Elon Musk, whose 2023 tweet has since gone viral, amassing over 2 million views and 27,000 likes.
Elon Musk’s nine-word tweet about Russell Brand has gone viral again after the latter’s conviction
On September 16, 2023, The Sunday Times, The Times, and Channel 4’s Dispatches published a joint investigation on Russell Brand featuring allegations from four women.
They accused Brand of r**e, s*x*al a**ault and emotional ab**e, with one claiming that he violated her when she was 16.
The same day, Brand released a 2:45-minute video on social media, saying he used to be “very, very promiscuous” at a younger age, but also clarifying, “During that time of promiscuity, the relationships that I had were absolutely, always consensual.”
Reacting to the video, Elon Musk wrote, “I support Russell Brand. That man is not evil.”
The billionaire also backed Brand’s theory that the allegations were some sort of a “coordinated media attack” for an unspecified “agenda.”
“There is more to this than meets the eye,” Musk said. “If the concern is actually s*x*al predation in the entertainment industry, that is a very long list. Why Russell Brand now?”
Musk’s comments earned support from netizens at the time who felt the same way, with one saying, “This was a clear hit piece with no credible evidence.”
“I think I’m a fairly decent judge of character and Brand does not strike me as an evil person,” opined another.
Musk believed Brand was being framed because he “rattled the cage”
As the Metropolitan Police launched an investigation days after the allegations surfaced, Musk defended Brand again in a conversation with Ben Shapiro on X Spaces, saying he wouldn’t believe any claims until there was a conviction.
“It can’t be guilty until proven innocent. Because obviously we’re just sort of in the witch-burning phase here—just being declared a witch is enough to make you a witch and be burnt,” he told the political commentator.
The Tesla CEO added that “anyone could be accused at any time of false charges, and we can’t be destroying their lives on the potential of false accusations.”
He also emphasized that Brand was likely being framed because he “rattled the cage” of the “powers that be,” and urged the public to focus on why the accusations were coming to light more than a decade after they occurred.
“Seems like an odd coincidence that it’s happening when Russell is really gaining traction, questioning a lot of the conventional wisdom,” the tech magnate wondered.
“I think we’re running out of conspiracy theories that didn’t turn out to be true.”
Users derived from the comments at the time that Musk was insinuating Brand’s criticism of the Biden administration, especially their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his skepticism about the vaccines, landed him in hot water.
At the time of this writing, Musk has not issued any new statement on Brand, now that he is convicted.
A judge denied Brand bail as the actor awaits sentencing on a guilty verdict
After a 19-month investigation, the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service officially charged Brand on April 4, 2025, with five s*x-related crimes that took place between 1999 and 2005. He appeared in court the following month and pleaded not guilty.
In December 2025, prosecutors added two more charges involving two other women, stemming from 2009 incidents, to which Brand also pleaded not guilty.
Among the seven charges were accusations of gr*ping, non-consensual kissing, and oral, an*l, and vag*nal r*ping.
His trial began at Southwark Crown Court in London on October 12, 2026. Brand testified in his own defense and maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings.
The prosecution, led by Riel Karmy-Jones KC, described Brand as “calculated and manipulative” and claimed that he used his fame to exploit and silence his victims.
On November 5, the jury found him guilty of one count of r**e and three counts of s*x*al a**ault.
After the verdict, Judge Joel Bennathan refused Brand’s request for bail or to meet his family, citing concerns that he might flee, and ordered him to be taken into custody immediately.
The judge also indicated that Brand would receive a significant prison sentence, according to reports. The sentencing hearing was scheduled for November 9, 2026.
He is still under investigation for violating two more women as of November 7, 2026, the police said.
“That aged well,” one user commented
Follow Us
