Jimmy Carr sparks backlash with ‘despicable’ Russell Brand joke hours after comedian is jailed
Warning: This article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Jimmy Carr has sparked a backlash after sharing a ‘despicable’ joke about Russell Brand just hours after he was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years in prison for rape and sexual assault.
Brand, 51, was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Thursday (5 November) following a four-week long trial.
He was found not guilty on three other counts.
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Yesterday, he was sentenced to more than a decade in prison and will serve at least two thirds of his sentence behind bars.
Just hours after he was sentenced, Carr, who appeared on screen with Brand multiple times throughout his career, shared a short clip from his new tour which saw him taking aim at Brand.
In the clip, which was posted on X, a heckler asks Carr what he thinks about Brand, to which the comedian replies: “What do I think about Russell Brand? Well, this is interesting. It’s crazy to think that Russell Brand is going to jail for something he didn’t do… get consent.
“I think Russell Brand’s views on sex and consent are going to radically change in the next week.”
The post, which has since been viewed almost three million times, has prompted a backlash from some who thought the joke was in poor taste, while others said it was ‘too soon’.
One said: “You may be surprised to learn many of us don’t find anything about Brand a joke.”
Another added: "I don’t think the timing to make jokes about this will ever be appropriate."
However, others disagreed and supported the joke, with one saying Carr was a ‘funny man’ who was ‘telling it like it is’.
Others praised him for 'speaking out' and 'thinking on his feet' in response to an audience member.
How did Russell Brand become famous?
Brand was born in 1975 in Essex to architectural photographer Ronald Henry Brand and Barbara Elizabeth Nichols.
Starting out on the stand-up comedy circuit, Brand rose to fame hosting Big Brother's Big Mouth from 2004.
In 2007, he performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip at the Royal Variety Show and released his bestselling memoir My Booky Wook.
In 2008, he was forced to resign from the BBC after he and Jonathan Ross prank-called Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs, with Brand alluding to sleeping with his granddaughter on BBC Radio 2.
It resulted in 42,000 complaints to the BBC. Nevertheless, Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Ballie chose to provide a character statement in Brand's defence during his trial after he paid for her to go to rehab for alcohol addiction.
Her statement read in part: "I still choose to support him as a person I know him to be."
She told the BBC: "If I could say anything to Russell, I'd probably say just admit when you've done wrong. Don't keep denying, denying, denying. Acknowledge the suffering."
From 2010 to 2012, Brand was in a high-profile marriage with singer Katy Perry, who claimed he ended their relationship over text.
In 2015, he interviewed Ed Miliband as part of the former Labour leader's election campaign. Milliband told the BBC in 2023 he regrets the interview in light of subsequent allegations against Brand, which he was unaware of at the time.
Brand was sent to a drug and alcohol rehab centre in Bury St Edmunds in 2003, and then the KeyStone Center Extended Care Unit in Philadelphia to treat his sex addiction in 2005.
He met his future wife Laura Gallacher in 2007, and they briefly dated when she was 19 and Brand was 31.
The couple reunited in 2015, and their wedding in 2017 was attended by Noel Gallagher, David Baddiel, Jonathan Ross and Fearne Cotton.
"A clever sexual predator"
Brand was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of raping a woman in 2009, as well as sexually assaulting female TV and radio workers between 2004 and 2009.
He was cleared of two further charges of rape and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.
At his sentencing yesterday, Brand could be seen holding a crucifix in his hands while standing in the dock as he was jailed for more than a decade.
He was sentenced to nine months, 18 months, and eight months respectively for his three counts of sexual assault, which will run concurrently against one another.
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan described him as a 'clever sexual predator' who believed fame could allow him to 'act however he liked'.
The presiding judge said: “About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous. You were clever – and in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator.
“Your status protected you until 2023 when journalists published allegations.”
He added: "The whole episode reeks of casual disrespect, and your belief that fame meant you could act however you liked, when you liked, unhindered by the rules by which decent people live."
LADbible has reached out to Jimmy’s Carr reps for comment.
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 500 222, available 24/7. If you are currently in danger or need urgent medical attention, you should call 999.
Topics: Russell Brand, Jimmy Carr, Celebrity, UK News
Claire Reid
