Netflix will release a new documentary, Russell Brand: Open Secret, on Nov. 13. The film, directed by Olivia Isaacs, “charts the story of Russell Brand’s meteoric rise and steep fall following allegations of sexual offenses.”
According to a press release, Open Secret features inside voices and archive footage that offer insight into Brand’s life and the investigation run by U.K. publications the Times and the Sunday Times and their reporters Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace. A short teaser for the film calls Brand a “shapeshifter” and a “grifter,” and explains that the journalists initially didn’t realize their investigation would lead to criminal charges.
Brand was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Nov. 5 following a trial in London. He was found not guilty on two additional counts of rape, as well as one count of attempted indecent assault. The allegations against him were tied to claims made by six women between 1999 and 2009. The actor and comedian was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Police began investigating Brand in 2023 after multiple women came forward with allegations of assault and abuse in a Channel 4 documentary and the Sunday Times report. Prosecutors first filed five charges against Brand in April 2025, while two additional charges were brought in December.
Following the trial, Brand’s attorney Ian Winter confronted Urwin outside the courtroom, telling her “I hope you are pleased with yourself.” Urwin responded, “I’m pleased justice has been done,” to which Winter replied, “Well, it wasn’t. You fucked it.” Winter later confirmed he had referred himself to the Bar Standards Board.
Urwin explained on a Times podcast that she approached Winter after the verdict because her name had been mentioned during the trial. “I thought he’s talked about me a lot, I’ll go and introduce myself and that is a legitimate thing to do,” she said. “I was surprised to be confronted and spoken to in that way.”
The bulk of Brand’s sentence is tied to the rape charge, for which the judge sentenced him to nine years in prison. Meanwhile, each of the three assault charges carried their own penalty: nine months, 18 months, and eight months. The assault sentences will be served concurrently, but consecutively with the sentence for the rape charge.
Brand will eventually be eligible for parole, but only after serving two-thirds of his sentence. That means he will spend at least seven years behind bars, and, if granted parole, would have to serve the remainder of his sentence under supervision and abiding by specific rules.
The Metropolitan Police are continuing to investigate Brand after several people contacted them with information during and after the trial. “Detectives are assessing this information as part of their ongoing enquiries,” a spokesperson told the BBC.
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