Russell Brand was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison on Monday after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court. The disgraced comedian’s sentencing followed a trial in which multiple accusers testified about his alleged predatory behavior during his rise to fame.
Police confirmed on Tuesday that Thames Valley Police had been contacted by Jemima Goldsmith, Brand’s ex-partner, in July 2014 regarding an alleged assault at her Oxfordshire home. Officers responded to the incident but made no arrests, instead ordering Brand to leave the property at Goldsmith’s request. Goldsmith later stated on social media that she had experienced Brand’s ‘violence, coercive control, and abuse’, including a 2014 incident that required police intervention.
Goldsmith, the former wife of Pakistani cricketer and politician Imran Khan, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she had ‘had to call the police to have him removed from my house in 2014 during a violent incident.’ She emphasized her support for Brand’s victims, stating: ‘I am and have always been strongly and unequivocally on the side of all of Brand’s victims.’
Brand’s legal troubles extend beyond the recent convictions. In June 2014, Goldsmith and Brand jointly sought a legal injunction against Szilvia Berki, a massage therapist hired by Goldsmith to provide a session at their shared home, Kiddington Hall. Berki alleged that Brand and Goldsmith treated her ‘like a prostitute’ and that she was pushed by Brand before fleeing the property. Both Brand and Goldsmith denied wrongdoing, asserting that the massage was intended to be ‘standard’ rather than sexual in nature.
The injunction was reportedly dropped after Berki agreed not to discuss the matter publicly. Thames Valley Police confirmed they had received a complaint from Berki but took no further action at the time.
Brand, 51, has a history of high-profile relationships, including marriages to Katy Perry (2010–2012) and his current wife, Laura Brand, who testified in his defense during the trial. Perry’s past comments about Brand’s behavior resurfaced following his sentencing, with Perry describing their marriage as ‘very controlling.’ Brand abruptly ended their relationship via text message in 2012, shortly after Perry’s career peak.
Goldsmith’s public statement marks one of the first detailed accounts from a former intimate partner regarding Brand’s alleged abusive behavior. Her disclosure comes amid renewed scrutiny of his past relationships and the circumstances surrounding his 2014 interactions with police.
Thames Valley Police have not provided further details about the 2014 incident, citing ongoing privacy considerations. The Crown Prosecution Service has not commented on why no charges were pursued at the time.