A jury has found Russell Brand guilty of rape and sexual assault against women across a decade of allegations, and the verdict has drawn attention backward to the years when he was a celebrated political voice and courted by figures across the Labour movement. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who once publicly backed Brand in 2014, now answers for that old loyalty with a plain admission that public figures are not always seen in full, and that the failure to see can wound those who suffer. The story sits in the familiar human pattern where fame and political warmth can shelter what lies beneath, a
Burnham says he had no idea of Brand's full crimes as Labour's past ties to the comedian come under scrutiny
Six women made allegations spanning 1999 to 2009; the court found Brand guilty of sexual offences against them.
It's not always the case that people know everything about people in public life.
Mark
Why is Burnham being asked about a tweet from 2014?
Mimi
Because it was a public show of support for Brand, and Brand has now been convicted of rape and sexual assault. Burnham told the BBC he had no idea of the full extent of what Brand did.
Luke
Worth noting what the tweet actually backed. It followed a Sun story about Brand's housing arrangements, not any allegation of this kind.
Mark
And Miliband's interview?
Mimi
It came before the 2015 election. Brand, who had dismissed voting, then backed Labour. Miliband has said before that he regrets it, and his spokesman repeated his 2023 words on Friday.
Luke
Both men say they were unaware of the allegations then. That is their account. The reporting here doesn't show what either knew.
Mark
What about the verdicts?
Mimi
Guilty on one rape count and three sexual assault counts. Not guilty on two rape counts and one attempted indecent assault. Six women gave evidence of events between 1999 and 2009.
Luke
Even Burnham's tweet is unclear in one respect: the article says it isn't certain exactly what he was referring to.
Mark
What happens next?
Mimi
Sentencing on Monday. Brand stays in custody until then.
El Pulso
- A jury has convicted Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault, and the Prime Minister is being pressed on a supportive tweet he posted years before the crimes came to light.
- Andy Burnham insists he had no idea of the full extent of Brand's conduct, pushing back against a storm over Labour's past closeness to the comedian.
- Ed Miliband, now foreign secretary, has already expressed regret over a 2015 interview with Brand, and his spokesman reaffirms that position amid renewed scrutiny.
- Brand, 51, has been refused bail and spends the weekend in custody, with sentencing set for Monday as the next moment that will force the story forward.
A jury has found Russell Brand guilty of rape and sexual assault against women across a decade of allegations, and the verdict has drawn attention backward to the years when he was a celebrated political voice and courted by figures across the Labour movement. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who once publicly backed Brand in 2014, now answers for that old loyalty with a plain admission that public figures are not always seen in full, and that the failure to see can wound those who suffer. The story sits in the familiar human pattern where fame and political warmth can shelter what lies beneath, and where exposure arrives only when courage and journalism finally pierce the surface. Brand awaits sentencing on Monday, and the question of what those earlier endorsements meant will linger after the courtroom falls quiet.
On Friday, the day after a jury delivered its verdict, Prime Minister Andy Burnham was asked about a message he had posted on Twitter in 2014 urging Russell Brand to carry on. He answered briefly: people do not always know everything about those in public life.
Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, and acquitted of two other rape counts and one attempted indecent assault. Six women gave evidence of offences spanning 1999 to 2009 during a four-week trial. Brand, now 51, was refused bail and will be held over the weekend before returning to court on Monday for sentencing.
The scrutiny reaches back to a time before any police investigation, when Brand was a prominent political voice writing opinion pieces, appearing on programmes including Question Time, and building a large following with his anti-establishment views. In 2014, as shadow health secretary, Burnham had defended him during a dispute over his housing arrangements, at a moment when Brand was countering a newspaper's claims with a pledge to donate money to Hillsborough victims.
Burnham now says he could not have known the full extent of what Brand was doing, calls the crimes horrific, and credits the victims, their courage, and the journalists who exposed the wrongdoing.
Brand's ties to Labour extended beyond Burnham. Ed Miliband interviewed him before the 2015 election, an encounter that Brand said convinced him to back the party. Miliband, now foreign secretary, has said he regrets that interview, and his spokesman says his sympathy lies with the victims.
On Friday, the day after a jury convicted Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault, Prime Minister Andy Burnham was asked about a message he had posted on Twitter in 2014 urging the comedian to carry on. His answer was brief: it is not always the case, he said, that people know everything about those in public life.
Brand was found guilty on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was found not guilty of two other counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. The four-week trial heard allegations from six women, covering a decade between 1999 and 2009. Brand is 51. He was refused bail, will spend the weekend in custody, and is due back in court on Monday to be sentenced.
The scrutiny of Labour comes from the years before any police investigation, when Brand was a prominent political voice. In 2014 he wrote regular opinion pieces for newspapers and appeared on political discussion programmes, including the BBC's Question Time. His anti-establishment, left-wing views had built him a following on social media.
That year Burnham, then shadow health secretary, posted in support of Brand after allegations about his housing arrangements. It is not clear exactly what Burnham was referring to, but the day before, The Sun had claimed that Brand paid rent on a property owned by a landlord in a tax haven while campaigning against tax avoidance. Brand threatened to sue the paper and said he would give the money to victims of the Hillsborough disaster, a cause Burnham has long campaigned for. Burnham described it at the time as depressing to see a media mission to discredit someone who stops playing their game, and told Brand to keep going.
Asked about that post, Burnham told the BBC that all he could say was that he had no idea of the full extent of what Brand was doing, or what he went on to do. He called the crimes horrific and said Brand had rightly been held to account, with justice for the victims. What matters, he said, is that wrongdoing is exposed where it exists. He added credit for the victims, for the courage it took, and for the journalists who brought the matter to light.
Burnham was not the only Labour figure to engage with Brand. Ed Miliband, then party leader, was interviewed by Brand ahead of the 2015 general election. Brand had previously dismissed the idea of voting, but backed Labour afterwards, saying Miliband had convinced him that this bloke would listen to us.
Miliband is now foreign secretary, and has said before that he regrets the interview. On Friday a spokesman told the BBC that the crimes were horrific and that Miliband's profound sympathy was with the victims. The spokesman repeated what Miliband said in 2023: that knowing what he knows now, and without having been aware of the allegations at the time, he would not have done the interview and regrets doing it.
The next fixed point is Monday, when Brand returns to court for sentencing.
Citas Notables
I had no idea of the full extent of what he was doing or what he went on to do.— Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to the BBC
Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have done that interview and I regret doing it.— Ed Miliband, as quoted by his spokesman, from 2023
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