Elon Musk Slams ‘Ballers’ Star Russell Brand’s Possible Sentence as Unjust, Reigniting Scrutiny of His Past Support

Russell Brand’s criminal case has become a flashpoint well beyond the courtroom. The former comedian and actor was convicted of rape and sexual assault last week, and his sentencing has drawn commentary from some of the most high-profile voices online. One of those voices belongs to Elon Musk, whose history with Brand is now back under the microscope.

Brand was found guilty on November 5 at Southwark Crown Court in London of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women. He was acquitted of two other rape counts and one count of attempted indecent assault. The jury deliberated for about eight and a half hours after a trial that lasted nearly four weeks.

On the morning Brand was due to be sentenced, Musk responded to a post about the case with a single word: “Unjust.” The post he reacted to compared the potential for a life sentence for Brand with a three-year sentence handed to another convicted offender in January 2025. Musk did not elaborate beyond that one word.

Life is the legal maximum for rape in England and Wales, but legal experts quoted in coverage did not expect that outcome. Sentencing guidelines suggest a range of roughly 4 to 13 years for Brand’s crimes, depending on how the judge weighs the offences. Sexual assault carries a maximum of 10 years.

Prosecutors portrayed Brand as a manipulative predator who used his fame to exploit women, and six complainants gave evidence, all entitled to lifelong anonymity. The charges covered incidents between 1999 and 2009. The most serious conviction related to the 2009 rape of a fan he met after a show.

Brand denied every charge, testifying that the encounters were consensual or had been reinvented or reimagined. His lawyers argued the accusers were undermined by the years that passed before they went to police. Judge Joel Bennathan told Brand a significant prison term would follow and refused bail over fears he might not return for sentencing.

On Monday, the women told the court, in person and in written statements, that they still live with the trauma. After the verdict, a senior Metropolitan Police detective called the result a testament to the courage of the women who came forward. Police have also passed prosecutors an investigation into two further rape allegations against Brand.

Musk’s reaction fits a pattern. In 2023, shortly after the original allegations aired in a Channel 4 and Sunday Times investigation, he said he supported Brand and described him as not evil. He also replied to a video Brand posted by suggesting the backlash was about competition for audiences.

Musk later told conservative commentator Ben Shapiro the situation looked like a witch-burning moment and argued that people should wait for a conviction. After the verdict, those earlier posts resurfaced and spread widely, prompting renewed questions about the two men’s relationship. A conviction is now on the record, which changes the context for those earlier comments.

Brand rose to fame in the early 2000s hosting television shows and a BBC radio program. He appeared in Hollywood films including ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ and ‘Get Him to the Greek’, and he was briefly married to Katy Perry. In recent years he moved away from mainstream media, relocated to Florida and built a large online following with wellness, politics and faith content, and he was baptised as a Christian in 2024.

That reinvention is part of why the case has drawn such intense reaction from both sides of the political divide. Supporters of Brand have framed the prosecution as an attack on an outspoken critic of the establishment. Others point to the jury’s verdict and the testimony of the women as the key facts.

Brand was due back at Southwark Crown Court on Monday to learn his sentence. Whatever length the judge imposes, the case may not be over, since police are examining further allegations and prosecutors will decide whether to bring more charges.

For Musk, the episode adds another chapter to a public defense that began years before any verdict. How far the backlash goes remains to be seen.

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