Comedians exist to make people laugh and to possibly make them feel happy and feel better about themselves. Of course, amid all of the jokes and humour; there could always be a smokescreen for who they truly are.
There are a clear cut examples of British duo: Russell Brand and David Walliams.
After years of caution, journalists can now exchange the word "alleged" for "convicted" when describing Russell Brand as a sexual predator. Following a four-week trial, where six women testified in detail, the former comedian was jailed for ten years and six months for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was cleared of two further counts of rape and one of attempted indecent assault.
When sentencing Brand, Justice Joel Bennathan emphasised the women’s courage for coming forward. Four victim impact statements were read to the court, one of them by the victim herself, before Brand was sentenced. All four women discussed the deep and lasting impact of their assaults, highlighting the role of the media in their trauma.
Complainant three stated how difficult it was to see Brand for years "being celebrated for his disgusting behaviour against women; like it was all a joke." She also described how seeing the news coverage of the story caused her to have the only panic attack of her life.
Complainant four said she suffered heavy anxiety watching the coverage. Complainant five said she was "unprepared for the level of publicity" adding: "It has been extremely distressing to relive what happened and see it discussed so widely."
Complainant six, who was working for Channel 4 at the time she was attacked, stated she reported her sexual assault to the broadcaster, which had recruited Brand to work on a project. She said of her complaint: "It was brushed under the carpet by senior management."
The trial is an example of the role media can play in uplifting the career of powerful people like Brand. This is both through platforming celebrities in "puff" articles and TV segment; as well as in their failure to act on reports of unprofessional and illegal behaviour.
Yet it was the investigative reporting by Channel 4 and The Times and The Sunday Times in 2023 that the Metropolitan Police credit for starting an investigation into Brand.
In fact, most of the high-profile cases of sexual violence that have gone to trial in the UK and U.S.A,. have included journalistic exposés.
Uncovering the sexual violence of high-profile people is time-consuming and risky for news organisations. Chief news correspondent for The Sunday Times, Rosamund Urwin and investigations correspondent for The Times, Charlotte Wace, said they worked on the Brand story for nearly four years before publishing. They contacted more than 500 sources in the process.
Since the trial, they have discussed how surprised they were that Brand’s defence team centred their news reporting throughout the proceedings. "Our reporting, while important as the catalyst for some of them, wasn’t on trial," Urwin later said in a TV interview.
The attempts to undermine the news reporting even seeped out of the courtroom. Urwin was confronted by Brand’s barrister Ian Winter KC on the day the verdicts were returned. She introduced herself – because the barrister had mentioned her reporting frequently in court. He reportedly replied: "I hope you’re pleased with yourself."
Urwin responded: "I’m pleased justice has been done," to which Winter is said to have retorted: "Well, it wasn’t. You f***** it … Congratulations." Winter has now referred himself to regulator the Bar Standards Board.
Women accusing a high-profile man can face anger, either online or in person. Brand’s father Ron even said after the sentencing that his son is the real victim – not the women accusing him.
Journalists also face contempt through threats of "strategic litigation against public participation" or Slapps – lawsuits that are increasingly being used to suppress reporting in the UK and US.
It doesn’t stop at Slapps. TV personality and author David Walliams recently attempted to block a joint ITV News and Guardian investigation that includes several women alleging sexual misconduct. Two accusers say they were 15 years old when they met Walliams. He filed an injunction, which was dismissed by the high court, meaning he could then be named. Walliams denies the allegations against him.
In 2020, the actor Johnny Depp tried and failed to sue The Sun newspaper for reporting he was a "wife beater" (although he was successful in a US case against his former wife Amber Heard). In 2003, Jeffery Epstein successfully used threats to pressure Vanity Fair magazine to water down its coverage of him. In 2017, disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein allegedly managed to stop NBC from publishing an investigation into his sexual misconduct. The probe was eventually published by The New Yorker.
Despite instances like these, powerful celebrities like Brand can hide in plain sight for years with the help of news media organisations. The relationship can be mutually beneficial. Celebrities are legitimised and hyped through regular attention – and in return, news outlets get clicks and views.
This relationship can sour if news organisations invest in the lengthy and complicated process of uncovering sexual crimes. In the process, it’s still the accusers, often victims of sexual crimes, who endure years of anxiety and scrutiny.
Russell Brand may have been sent to prison for rape and sexual assault but the wider soul-searching over celebrities getting away with sexual misconduct in the U.K. is far from over.
A day after Brand was jailed, a second British comedian — David Walliams — was in the headlines, accused of using his fame and status to prey on young female fans, including teens, for sex.
Walliams, a feted children’s author and TV personality, had sought a court injunction to block two news organisations from publishing the allegations against him.
A judge dismissed his bid last week and the Guardian and ITV News on Tuesday published detailed accounts from multiple women about his alleged misconduct.
Walliams hasn't been charged by police with wrongdoing. The news within the same week about the two prominent comedians — both household names in Britain known for edgy comedy, each with hugely popular shows in the 2000s and 2010s — has prompted questions about why it took so long for their stars to fall and whether media employers like the BBC played a role in indulging or shielding celebrities’ predatory behaviour.
After Brand’s conviction, police said they are prepared for many more potential accusers to come forward. Government officials said the case shows the entertainment and media industries need to do much more to protect women from exploitation.
Allegations against both men have swirled for years but Brand’s conviction and the publication of the claims against Walliams have led many to look back at their performances and question whether they were boundary-pushing comedy or straight-up inappropriate.
Brand was known for risqué stand-up routines and provocative behaviour when he hosted television programs and his own BBC radio show. He appeared in Hollywood films including "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek" and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.
In the past decade, he relocated to Florida and pivoted to social media, where he amassed millions of followers with videos mixing wellness, conspiracy theories and discussions of his devotion to Christianity.
Brand denied accusations from six women that he raped or sexually assaulted them but a jury of eight men and four women found him guilty last week of attacking four of six accusers. He was sentenced on Monday to 10½ years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
Walliams became a national star as the co-creator of the irreverent 2000s sketch comedy show "Little Britain." The show was a huge success at the time and won multiple awards but has since been widely criticised for racism and mocking minority and marginalised groups.
He was also for years a judge on "Britain’s Got Talent" and is a bestselling children’s book author with millions of sales worldwide.
On Tuesday, ITV News and the Guardian published detailed accounts from multiple women against Walliams, including one who alleged he sexually assaulted her at his house when she was 15.
Walliams denied the allegations and had applied for a court injunction to bar the media outlets from identifying him in their reporting. A judge dismissed arguments from his lawyers claiming that publishing the allegations would lead him to take his own life.
In light of the revelations about the comedians; attention has refocused on some of their past work.
One of them was a 2000s stage show of "Little Britain," in which Walliams played a former children’s entertainer and sex offender who touched audience members and pulled down their trousers.
In another, a TV clip from around 2006 showed Walliams and Brand joking on a talk show about how appearing gay was a “wonderful smoke screen” that “works wonderfully well.”qqyt
One of Brand’s accusers has described in court how she thought he was gay and "very effeminate," saying that was partly why she "felt sexually safe with him" before he allegedly raped her.
Another prominent comedian, Jonathan Ross, said on Wednesday he was horrified by the allegations about Walliams and Brand. Ross knew both well but said he was "genuinely unaware of their conduct."
He made the comments after a 2004 video resurfaced showing him joking about Walliams going home with 15-year-olds at the British Comedy Awards. Ross said he didn’t suspect it "might be referring to actual events" and that in retrospect it was “a tasteless joke."
The BBC said on Tuesday it was removing “Little Britain” and other programs featuring and written by Walliams from its platforms.
After he was convicted, police revealed that Brand is under investigation over at least two further rape allegations. The Metropolitan Police said detectives are assessing new information after several people reached out during and since the conclusion of Brand’s trial.
The head of the Metropolitan Police, Mark Rowley, said last week officers are braced for "many, many more" possible victims of Brand to come forward.
Hours after Brand was sentenced, his ex-girlfriend, Jemima Goldsmith, alleged that she had her own "personal experience of his violence, coercive control and abuse."
She said that in 2014, she had to call police to have him removed from her house during a "violent incident" but she didn’t press charges because she was worried about the impact of press attention on her children.
Russell Brand's romantic past is drawing renewed attention following his prison sentencing, including ex-wife Katy Perry's description of his behaviour during their marriage as "very controlling."
Years before the comedian was convicted of rape and sexual assault; Perry said Brand struggled with her role as "the boss" of her own career and shared how their whirlwind marriage ended with a text message in which he announced he wanted a divorce.
Now, her past comments are resurfacing alongside renewed interest in Brand’s relationship history, from his brief romance with Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell to his marriage to his current wife Laura Brand, who testified in his defense.
Here's a look back at Brand's most notable relationships.
Brand described a brief romantic encounter with Kate Moss in his memoir, "Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal," writing that their connection elevated his celebrity status.
"I could never have anticipated the instant elevation that this liaison would afford me, it was like being awarded a celebrity Victoria Cross," he wrote, according to the New York Post.
The comedian, who met Moss through a mutual friend, expressed his admiration for the model in the book.
"Kate Moss is the prettiest girl in all our schools," he wrote. "Behold our queen, but don’t look at her directly or all else you gaze upon till death brings down your lids will be as shadows compared to her beauty."
In the book, Brand wrote that he became smitten but their connection faded after he publicly downplayed the encounter to journalists.
Brand and Australian actress Teresa Palmer briefly dated after meeting while filming "Bedtime Stories" in 2008. By July of that year, both were publicly discussing their relationship; with Brand suggesting he was ready to leave his womanizing reputation behind.
"I’m a changed man," he said at the time, according to Cosmopolitan. "I’ve met someone very beautiful and I’ve settled down."
Palmer expressed similar enthusiasm about their budding romance. "We’ve only been together for a month, but it’s going brilliantly," she said, according to the outlet.
The pair attended the O2 Silver Clef Awards together in London on 4 July 2008 but their relationship was short-lived. By the fall of 2008, the couple had separated.
Brand and Katy Perry, who met on the set of "Get Him to the Greek" in 2009, announced their engagement in January 2010 before marrying in India on 23 October of that year. Their marriage lasted approximately 14 months before Brand filed for divorce in December 2011.
Perry later discussed their relationship in a 2013 Vogue interview, describing behaviour she considered "controlling."
"He didn’t like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour. So that was really hurtful and it was very controlling; which was upsetting," she said. "I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending but then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day. I let go, and I was like: This isn’t because of me, this is beyond me. So I have moved on from that."
During the interview, Perry said Brand informed her of his divorce plans by text message. The moment she received the message was captured on camera and featured in the pop star's 2012 documentary "Katy Perry: Part of Me."
Following Brand's sentencing, another video showing an interaction between Brand and Perry gained traction online.
During an interview at the 2010 Vanity Fair Oscar party, Brand appeared to criticise Perry for swearing on camera and displayed a badge bearing the word "Obey." "He didn’t like her getting more attention than him," one social media user wrote on X.
Months before his conviction, Perry made a pointed remark about an ex during a concert in July at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England.
While playing an interactive game that asked audience members to act out their reaction to seeing an ex, Perry said, "I hope my ex isn’t here. He should be in jail," according to The Mirror. Perry didn't specifically name Brand.
Brand began dating Isabella Brewster, a former talent agent, following his split from Perry. The pair reportedly met at a yoga class.
He confirmed their romance during a 18 July 2012, appearance on Howard Stern's radio show, just days after his divorce became final.
"Some things in the newspaper aren’t true … that’s true, actually," Brand said when asked about Brewster, according to E! News.Their relationship appeared to move quickly. According to Cosmopolitan, the pair were reportedly considering renting a home together in Los Angeles.
By late August, however, the romance had ended. "Isabella and [Russell] broke it off," a source told Us Weekly at the time. "He has been in London since the Olympics and is traveling for standup."
Following his split from Brewster, Brand was briefly linked to Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell. The pair reportedly grew close during preparations for the 2012 London Olympics' closing ceremony, at which both performed.
They were photographed holding hands during a visit to Hampton Court Palace with Halliwell’s daughter, Bluebell and were also reportedly spotted enjoying a picnic on Hampstead Heath.
Despite the attention surrounding their budding romance, the relationship reportedly ended within weeks. "He isn’t ready to settle down so soon after coming out of marriage," a source told The Mirror.
Brand began dating producer and journalist Jemima Goldsmith in 2013. Their relationship lasted approximately a year, during which the comedian publicly expressed his love for her and said their connection felt different from his previous romances.
"I really love her. I’m very, very happy in a relationship that feels very different from anything I’ve experienced before," Brand reportedly said during a 2014 appearance on "The Jonathan Ross Show."
Their break-up was reported in September 2014. In November 2026, Goldsmith spoke publicly about her relationship with Brand, offering a different account of her experience with him.
In a statement posted on X following his sentencing, she accused him of "violence, coercive control and abuse." She alleged that she had called police to have him removed from her home during a violent incident in 2014.
Goldsmith said she chose not to pursue charges or speak publicly at the time because she feared the impact of media attention on her teenage children. "I have neither seen nor spoken to Brand since that period in 2014," she wrote.
Brand’s relationship with his current wife, Laura Gallacher Brand, began years before his marriage to Perry.
Gallacher, an author and illustrator whose sister is British broadcaster Kirsty Gallacher, first became involved with Brand in 2006. She was 19 and he was 31. Their initial relationship ended the following year amid his reported difficulty with monogamy.
"When I met him, I was aware that he liked women and I was aware toward the latter half of that year that he was engaging with other women," Laura told the court during Brand's trial, according to Sky News. "I was not interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people. I was invested; we both had told each other we loved each other but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous."
After Brand’s marriage to Perry ended, he and Laura reconnected in 2015.
The couple welcomed daughter Mabel in November 2016 before marrying on 26 August 2017, in a ceremony near Henley-on-Thames, England. Their family later grew with the birth of their daughter Peggy in July 2018 and a son in 2023.
Laura publicly defended her husband during his 2026 rape and sexual assault trial.
Laura described Brand as "caring and kind, a wonderful father to our children and an amazing, attentive husband," adding that he has an "eye for detail I have never known before."
"I feel very seen by him," she said. "We have a very honest, frank and clear relationship and marriage … Our relationship has always been [about] honesty. I love him very much."
Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, said the allegations against Walliams “are the latest in a long line of reported abuses of power in an industry where we have known for so long that the power imbalances are huge.”
She said officials are summoning media and entertainment executives to urge them to put more robust policies in place to protect women who want to come forward with allegations against celebrities.
Although Brand’s offenses took place years ago, Nandy told Sky News on Sunday that the environment in media companies hasn't improved.
"I can’t see what has changed in the intervening years," she said.
The problem with celebrities is that everyone assumes that they are squeaky clean and hence trustworthy. No one is willing to pull the sheet and reveal the true nature of the celebrity.
Additionally, networks alike will most likely protect them from any wrongdoings because they are their cash cows. It's only if something happens publicly that they have to react; most likely regrettably.
The best medicine is to take precautionary measures when meeting one. A person's public and private lives can be two different entities.