Met police brace for 'many more' Russell Brand victims ahead of Monday's sentencing

Police are preparing for more women to come forward about Russell Brand. Sources say at least 10 other women are suspected of having been attacked by the disgraced comedian and actor.

Brand, 51, will be sentenced on Monday. A lengthy jail term is expected.

What happened?

On Thursday, Brand was convicted of raping a young fan at his luxury London townhouse in 2009. She had begged him to stop, and he carried on. He had picked her out of a crowd.

He was also found guilty of sexually assaulting three women in separate incidents, at a radio station, a recording studio and a bar. He was cleared of two further rape charges and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.

The women described how he "snapped", switching from charming to nasty, and then made them doubt that anything had been wrong.

What do police say about more victims?

The Metropolitan Police (London's police force) say Brand is already under investigation over two further rape allegations. Detectives have sent files to specialist rape prosecutors and are in talks with them.

Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: "I wouldn't be surprised if many, many more come forward, and we're open to that." He declined to say how many, noting that some intelligence is third-hand and some possible victims are reluctant to go through the criminal justice system.

Next week, the team that built the case will begin sifting through reports and intelligence about other potential victims. Sources say 10 is currently seen as a minimum.

Why are rape myths in the spotlight?

During the trial, the defence barrister asked women why they had not screamed during the attacks. That has reignited a debate about "rape myths", the false assumptions about how victims should behave.

A Downing Street source said Prime Minister Andy Burnham believes the victims' commissioner Claire Waxman's call should be examined. She wants a legal duty for judges to direct juries on rape myths. The Ministry of Justice said judges can already do this and that victims should never feel "they are the ones on trial".

A senior Crown Prosecution Service lawyer said some people freeze or cannot speak about an assault for months or years, and that this "is not a barrier to justice".

What's next?

Victims are expected to describe the impact of his crimes in court on Monday, before the sentence is handed down.

The allegations first surfaced in a joint media investigation in September 2023, and Brand was charged in April 2025. He now faces years in prison and the growing prospect of a fresh trial.