Russell Brand transferred £8.7m from firm before sentencing for rape conviction
Brand moved nearly £9m out of his TV and stand-up company in 2025, as victims prepare civil claims in the UK and US. Sentencing is set for Monday.
Russell Brand shifts £8.7m from company amid looming civil claims from victims
Russell Brand transferred £8.7 million out of his television and stand-up comedy firm in 2025, while consistently maintaining his innocence of sexual offences, the Daily Express reports. The move, first revealed by The Sun, raises concerns that his victims could miss out on compensation through civil proceedings.
Brand was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of rape and three counts of sexual assault earlier this week. He was found not guilty of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault. He also resigned as a director of several companies around the same period as the financial transfer.
Civil claims are expected to follow in both the United Kingdom and the United States, with potential six-figure payouts anticipated. One civil claim has already been lodged in Britain. In the US, a woman has filed a lawsuit alleging Brand sexually assaulted her on the set of the 2011 comedy film Arthur. That lawsuit claims Brand described having sex with multiple women as part of the "lineage of celebrated male behaviour", and that he suggested promiscuity was acceptable because it "defined famous men". He is also said to have claimed he understood consent because he had been "in a lot of bathrooms with people he doesn't know very well".
Prosecutors in the United States are additionally reported to be considering whether to pursue criminal charges against Brand.
Brand is due to be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, 9 November, having spent three nights in custody. Senior judge Mr Justice Bennathan has warned him to expect a "significant" jail term.
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, said he "wouldn't be surprised if many, many more" allegations come forward, following confirmation that further complaints against the former television and radio presenter are under active investigation.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy used the case to issue a warning about the state of the media industry. "Hand on heart, I don't think we can say that this couldn't happen today," she said. "In fact, I would wager that this is probably happening today, and I don't think that the industry is doing enough to tackle it." Nandy said there had not been sufficient change within media organisations to prevent celebrities in positions of power from abusing women.
Georgina Baillie, whose relationship with Brand became central to the 2008 Sachsgate controversy, also responded to the conviction. Baillie was drawn into public attention when Brand and Jonathan Ross left explicit messages about her on the answerphone of her grandfather, Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs, during a BBC Radio 2 broadcast.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Baillie said "justice has been served". "Although he never raped or assaulted me, as I have always said I didn't know what happened in the privacy of the rooms that the victims and Russell were in and their evidence was compelling," she said. "He has been found guilty and I now want Russell to right the wrongs."
Source: Daily Express