Megyn Kelly had a fiery reaction to Russell Brand’s prison sentence that sparked major debate. The political commentator compared Brand’s punishment to other UK criminal cases and questioned the fairness of the verdict.
TRIGGER WARNING: The article contains mentions of rape and sexual assault.
Megyn Kelly on Russell Brand’s 10-year prison sentence
Megyn Kelly called Russell Brand’s prison sentence “insane” on The Megyn Kelly Show. She reacted to the 10-and-a-half-year sentence handed down by Southwark Crown Court Judge Joel Bennathan. Kelly discussed the case with co-host Dave Aronberg and former litigator Viva Frei.
A jury found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The court acquitted him on two other counts of rape and one of attempted indecent assault. Six accusers described incidents ranging between 1999 and 2009.
Kelly compared Brand’s sentence to lighter punishments for other UK convicts. “I read you some of the sentences they’ve given to murderers. Murderers in the UK, less than what Russell got,” she said.
She cited the case of Ibrar Hussain, who reportedly received six and a half years for two counts of rape. However, Hussain’s sentence was subsequently increased to 10 years in May 2025. Kelly also referenced Darius Andrulionis, who allegedly got seven years for raping a woman.
Viva Frei accused prosecutors of using weaker charges to strengthen the main allegation. “You throw so much against the wall and you just hope that one or two things stick,” he said. He questioned whether a jury would have convicted Brand on the main charge alone. Frei also highlighted that the jury “found him not guilty on half the charges.”
Aronberg offered a different perspective on the verdict. “The jury system may be imperfect but it’s the system that we have,” he said. He added that the jury reviewed “all the evidence” and found Brand “guilty on some counts, not guilty on others.”
Kelly described Brand’s sentence as “an obvious double standard” and a “political witch hunt.” She pointed to the timing of accusations, noting they surfaced after Brand’s political views shifted. Frei echoed this, as Kelly said Brand’s behavior was allegedly once treated as “an open secret” that only became criminal allegations after he became a conservative voice.
However, there is no established evidence that the prosecution was politically motivated. The Crown Prosecution Service has stated that the complainants came forward independently following an investigation in 2023.
