Gender-Justice Organization UltraViolet Reacts Ahead of Russell Brand’s Sentencing for Rape and Sexual Assault

For Immediate Release: November 6, 2026
Contact: media@fwdshift.com

As Brand awaits sentencing, UltraViolet honors the courage of survivors who spoke out while calling out companies that continued to platform and profit from him despite multiple sexual assault allegations.

UltraViolet, a leading national women-led gender-justice organization with a track record of impactful victories against sexual predators like R. Kelly, Harvey Weinstein, Bill O’Reilly, and Andrew Tate, released the following statement ahead of disgraced actor Russell Brand’s sentencing, after a London jury found him guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Justice Joel Bennathan, who presided over the case, has already indicated that Brand will receive a “lengthy” custodial sentence.

“Women have been speaking out against now-convicted rapist Russell Brand for years—and have been ignored. His reputation as a serial sexual predator was considered an open secret in the entertainment industry, yet powerful platforms continued to amplify his voice and profit from his celebrity,” said Elisa Batista, Campaign Director for survivor justice at UltraViolet. “This is a victory for survivors, but a shameful moment for every company that continued to platform and profit from a man now convicted of rape and sexual assault.”

The fight for accountability began in September 2023, when four women publicly accused Brand of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse—allegations that sparked a police investigation and encouraged more survivors to come forward.

Since the first survivors spoke out, UltraViolet has stood alongside them, mobilizing thousands of members and challenging powerful platforms like Netflix and Spotify that continued to promote and profit from Brand’s content, despite serious allegations of sexual violence. In response to the initial allegations in September 2023, UltraViolet launched a petition, signed by more than 10,000 UltraViolet members, demanding Netflix immediately remove Brand’s 2018 comedy special Re: Birth.

Between 2023 and 2025, Brand tried to rebuild his reputation through appearances on right-wing media outlets and a public embrace of religion and spirituality, launching his podcast, Stay Free, on Rumble, with episodes also available on Spotify, where he amplified vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories.

In April 2025, after Brand was criminally charged with rape and sexual assault involving four women, UltraViolet escalated its efforts with a campaign demanding Spotify remove all his content and cut all ties with him. Despite the allegations, Spotify defended its decision to keep Brand’s content available, citing its platform rules. The campaign urged Spotify to take sexual assault allegations seriously and stop providing Brand with a platform to rebuild his reputation while facing criminal charges.

Brand’s 2026 conviction and sentencing are a victory for survivors, but also show how easily institutions and companies minimize and dismiss sexual assault allegations to keep profits flowing. For years, Brand continued to profit from platforms that gave him an audience, while the women who accused him of sexual assault spoke out at great personal risk.

“It’s thanks to the bravery of survivors that the world knows Brand for what he is: a serial sexual predator. We honor their courage by continuing to fight for a future where our legal system consistently delivers real justice, where survivors are believed and supported, and where they are never alone in their healing,” Batista said. “To the companies that refused to distance themselves from Brand: survivors are watching. We will continue to hold accountable any institution that stands by abusers or helps rehabilitate their image.”

For more than a decade, UltraViolet has fought alongside survivors to change how sexual violence is handled across the media, entertainment industry, and corporate America, ensuring there is a cost for sexism and misogyny. Through public pressure and grassroots organizing, UltraViolet works to hold powerful abusers and the institutions that enable them accountable.

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weareultraviolet.org

UltraViolet Education Fund is a women-led gender justice 501c3 organization, with an online community of more than 1 million members nationwide. We combine organizing, technology, creative campaigning, and people power to win real-world changes for women and gender expansive people.