'Free Russell Brand' petition posted from convicted rapist's account

Summarised from 5 outlets · Updated 13 Nov, 20:50 · Archive

A petition calling for Russell Brand's release has been shared from his X account after his conviction for rape and sexual assault.

Russell Brand's X account shared a petition calling for his release on Thursday, days after the 51-year-old was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years in prison. Brand was convicted on Thursday of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others during his career as a television and radio presenter. The petition, posted with the hashtag '#FreeRussellBrand', has garnered between 11,500 and 16,000 signatures according to different reports. It calls for Brand's 'right to challenge his convictions through lawful appeal procedures to be fully respected'.

It remains unclear who authored the post on Brand's X account. The petition description states it is 'an independent supporter-led campaign' not 'affiliated with or authorised by Russell Brand or his legal representatives'. The user who started the petition listed their name as 'Jane Doe', a placeholder often used in legal contexts to protect a woman's identity.

The post was met with widespread criticism online. One user wrote: 'We don't free rapists', while another commented: 'You've got to be joking? This is embarrassing as f***!' The post attracted hundreds of comments condemning the appeal.

At his sentencing on Monday at Southwark Crown Court, the judge described Brand as a 'sexual predator' and criticised his 'staggering arrogance' and 'casual, arrogant disregard for any woman's right to say no'. Brand showed no emotion when sentenced but reportedly told his wife, Laura Gallacher, 'we'll be OK' before being taken down to the cells.

Brand's X account also posted that Meta had disabled his Instagram and Facebook accounts for not following community standards. A screenshot of Meta's notice said: 'No one can see or find your account and you can't use it. All your information will be permanently deleted.' The post thanked Elon Musk, saying: 'There never was a Russell Brand, according to Meta. Thank God for Elon Musk. Stay tuned.'

Brand is serving his sentence at HMP Wandsworth and will serve at least two-thirds of it in prison. The Independent reports he is facing two other rape allegations, including one made by a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

How it is being reported

• Russell Brand sends sick message from prison after petition launched for releaseA three-word post has appeared on the disgraced former comedian's X profile.Daily Express · 13 Nov, 14:38
• Russell Brand’s X account still active after he’s jailed for rapeA post on the rapist’s X account praised the platform’s owner, Elon MuskThe Independent · 13 Nov, 11:38
• Russell Brand sends sick message from behind bars after petition launched for releaseThe sinister social media post promoting a petition that has already been signed by thousands comes after Elon Musk allowed his X account to continue since being convicted of rape and multiple sexual assaultsThe Mirror · 13 Nov, 02:26
• Russell Brand's team share petition calling for 'justice' on his X account following his imprisonment for rape - hours after Meta deleted his Instagram and Facebook profilesPosting to Russell Brand's account on X, owned by Elon Musk, his team confirmed that Meta has closed his Instagram and Facebook accounts, where he had millions of followers.Daily Mail · 12 Nov, 21:49
• Outrage as ‘Free Russell Brand’ petition shared from convicted rapist’s X accountThe post was met with a wave of criticism after the former comedian was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years in prison for rape and sexual assaultEvening Standard · 12 Nov, 19:30

In this story: Russell Brand · Laura Gallacher · Elon Musk · Meta · X · Southwark Crown Court · HMP Wandsworth

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log