Russell Brand is being investigated over two new rape complaints, police say

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Russell Brand is being investigated over rape allegations made by two additional women, after his conviction at Southwark Crown Court on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. A jury of eight men and four women also cleared him of two further rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault. The Metropolitan Police said the new complaints are part of the wider investigation into allegations first made public in 2023.

Det Supt Andy Furphy, who led the inquiry, said he hoped the guilty verdicts would encourage other possible victims to come forward. He described the case as difficult to build because the allegations were non-recent, with some dating back many years and no CCTV or forensic material available. Police instead relied on witness statements, interviews and other supporting evidence gathered over a three-year investigation.

According to the BBC, officers interviewed Brand several times under caution, and he denied the allegations. The reporting says more than 340 witness statements were taken, including from former colleagues, employers and associates. The women who testified did so behind a screen during the trial. The case matters because it adds to a wider reckoning around longstanding abuse allegations against a once high-profile entertainer, and police say further complainants may still emerge.