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Comedian Katherine Ryan has described feeling both "grief and relief" following Russell Brand's conviction for rape and sexual assault, as prominent figures across the entertainment industry weighed in on the verdict, with some praising the women who came forward and others questioning the outcome.
Brand, 51, was found guilty Thursday at London's Southwark Crown Court of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. He was acquitted of two further rape charges and one attempted indecent assault charge.
The former television star, who denied all charges, was remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing Monday.
Speaking on her podcast Telling Everybody Everything, Ryan said the verdict had brought up complicated emotions among women who had been communicating privately about the case.
"There's a level of relief, but there's grief alongside relief," she said, explaining that she did not want to celebrate another person's downfall despite welcoming the outcome.
Ryan praised the women who came forward despite Brand's celebrity status, financial resources and devoted supporters, while emphasizing that the effects of their experiences would not simply disappear with the trial's conclusion.
In a 2022 BBC documentary with Louis Theroux, Ryan had previously referred to an unidentified entertainment industry "predator" whom she claimed to have confronted while working on a television program.
Speculation linked her remarks to Brand, with whom she appeared on Comedy Central's Roast Battle in 2018, although she did not publicly confirm his identity at the time.
Ryan also criticized Brand's defense lawyer, Ian Winter, over his confrontation with Sunday Times journalist Rosamund Urwin outside the courthouse, describing his behavior as unprofessional and aggressive.
Urwin contributed to the 2023 investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4's Dispatches that brought allegations against Brand to public attention and prompted a police investigation.
British comedian Katy Brand, who is unrelated to Russell Brand, welcomed the conviction while criticizing television executives who she said had continued backing him despite concerns about his behavior.
"Russell Brand guilty. Good," she wrote on Instagram.
She recalled how producers had repeatedly suggested creating roles for him during comedy development meetings, highlighting the influence he once held within British television.
Katy Brand also praised his accusers and said women had suffered abuse or professional setbacks while influential industry figures continued supporting him.
Television adventurer Bear Grylls, who attended Brand's private Christian baptism in the River Thames in 2024, said the comedian's religious conversion had appeared sincere at the time.
While explaining that his faith encouraged him to support people seeking forgiveness, Grylls acknowledged the court's decision.
"It is right that justice has now been served," he wrote on X, describing the women involved as "the heroes of the day."
His participation in the baptism had previously drawn criticism because it followed the publication of allegations against Brand in 2023.
US journalist Megyn Kelly took a different position, calling the conviction "a travesty" and questioning the testimony of the woman Brand was convicted of raping.
Kelly, who had previously interviewed Brand, also shared information about the woman's sexual history on social media, drawing criticism from users who accused her of victim-blaming and overlooking the principle that sexual consent can be withdrawn.
Meanwhile, Britain's Crown Prosecution Service, the public authority responsible for prosecuting criminal cases in England and Wales, said Brand had exploited his celebrity status to commit sexual offenses while disregarding consent.
Police confirmed Brand remains under investigation over two additional rape allegations and encouraged anyone else potentially affected to come forward.
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