Days after movie star, comedian, and cultural commentator Russell Brand opened his speech at AmericaFest 2025 with an earnest prayer to God and a declaration of salvation in Jesus, he has been charged in the UK with a new round of rape and sexual assault charges, bringing his number of accusers to six. According to Church Leaders:
In May, Brand pleaded not guilty to the five original counts—two of rape, one of indecent assault, and two of sexual assault. He remains on conditional bail until his trial for those charges in June 2026.
The two additional charges are for acts that allegedly occurred in 2009. Brand will appear in court regarding the two new charges on Jan. 20, 2026.
In late 2023, Brand was accused by four women of sexually assaulting and raping them in 1999 years ago, prompting a police investigation.
About six months later, he declared that he had become a believer and was baptized, and he has since been vocal about his faith.*
Alluding to the new charges, Brand shared in a message on X: “Merry Christmas brothers and sisters. Accept all things, even trials as gifts from God. Jesus is real.”
Most adored and beloved friends. Season’s greetings. And it’s the season of Christ Jesus, Lord and Saviour. The coming of the light and the power.
This is a time of great darkness. You’re all aware of that. A time of confusion and dispute and conflict. But I’ve learned in my own life that attack can bring about grace.
I’m so grateful for the opportunity that in my own life that I get to participate in change and transformation and growth and love and I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to atone for the many things over the years that I did wrong and the opportunity to ensure that people understand the truth of my situation and scenario.
Suggesting that he’s facing unjust persecution, he continues:
Oh Lord, I ask that the people that see this video are able to pay attention to what’s happened in the last couple of years when it comes to media, independent media, politics, not only in the United States of America, but of course in my home, the UK, that appears to be using bureaucracy increasingly to legitimise authority.
I pray, Lord, that anyone that I’ve harmed or hurt in my years of mindlessness, in sin, would be healed, Lord. I pray for infinite light and wonderful healing for them.
And I pray, Lord, for the absolute truth of who I am to be abundantly revealed. And who I’ve always been, Lord, who I’ve always been because I am your creation.
He concludes:
You are my master. I pray for comfort for all of those that are suffering. I pray for all those that are suffering, Lord, that we would be healed in the name of your son, Jesus Christ in this Christmas season
Hey, 2026 is gonna be big. Let Jesus Christ into your life. There are gonna be big, staged, I don’t wanna say battles- trials is what I’m gonna call them. Trials, but as it says in James, we consider it great joy when we face trials of any kind. Jesus Christ, I love you and I love all of you. Have a beautiful Christmas.
Editor’s Note. We don’t know if Brand is a believer. He certainly has some strange beliefs, at times seemingly mixing new age woo-woo stuff with Christianity, but we are hopeful that he is, giving him the benefit of a doubt.
As we’ve said many times before, the sanctification process is very messy, especially for new believers, where frequently it’s two steps foward and one step back. This is why it’s so important for new Christians to be surrounded by a faithful and mature church family, where they can can receive discipling, accountability, correction and exhortation, and help minimize the messiness as they grow in the Lord.
Whether the seed gets eaten by birds, scorched in the sun, choked by thistles, or embeded deep in good soil, time will tell, and we should be praying in the meantime.
As far as these sexual assault and rape charges go, some which go back more than 25 years, if he did them, and is guilty, we believe he should be charged and punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Furthermore, we roundly reject the suggestion of some that because Brand is a believer now and these alleged things allegedly happened long ago, that he should be forgiven and escape temporal punishment.
