Television producer Jemima Goldsmith has accused her former boyfriend Russell Brand of violence, coercive control and abuse, speaking publicly after his conviction for rape and sexual assault. In a post on X, Goldsmith said she called police to have Brand removed from her home during a violent incident in 2014, but ultimately did not press charges.
Brand, a presenter and comedian, received a prison sentence of 10 years and six months on Monday after a London jury convicted him of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Before sentencing, the court heard statements describing the impact on victims. One woman recounted trauma, diminished self-respect and fears that her behavior might be misinterpreted. She also described feeling physically sick when she saw Brand in the media.
Goldsmith said she dated Brand for about a year in 2014 and has had no contact with him since that period. She attributed her decision against pressing charges or speaking publicly to concerns about how press attention would affect her children, who were teenagers at the time. While acknowledging the suffering described by the women who testified in court, she said her own experience had left a lasting impact.
Goldsmith also said she helped journalists investigating Brand’s conduct and was prepared to testify about his abusive behavior if the newspapers faced legal action. The producer, who was previously married to former Pakistani prime minister and cricketer Imran Khan, said much of her professional work had involved supporting women who were unfairly demonized or silenced.
Her statement also challenged recent coverage involving Szilvia Berki, who reportedly became subject to an injunction obtained by Brand and Goldsmith in October 2015 that prohibited her from harassing them. Berki had accused Brand of assault at Goldsmith’s home. Goldsmith said reporting about the matter had misrepresented events and prompted hateful online abuse against her.
According to Goldsmith, Berki visited her home on June 7, 2014, to give Brand a massage, but he had changed his mind and asked her to leave. Goldsmith said she was present throughout their interaction and witnessed no improper conduct. She said Berki subsequently told police that Brand pushed her in the back as she left and described an encounter with Goldsmith’s dog as an attack, with her police statement referring to the dog licking her face.
Goldsmith said she supplied CCTV footage and fully cooperated with the police investigation. According to her account, officers concluded that no criminal offense had occurred and there was no case to answer. She further alleged that Berki later sold false stories to tabloids and directed threatening and antisemitic abuse at her through emails and online posts.
The conviction has also intensified scrutiny of Brand’s industry connections. Last week, Jack Bayles, head of comedy at Various Artists Limited, was asked to step back from his producing role after being accused of watching and laughing while Brand sexually assaulted a woman. Goldsmith concluded her statement by expressing relief that Brand had faced justice.
