‘I thought I was damaged goods’: Russell Brand victim shares powerful statement in court

One of Russell Brand’s victims has shared a brave and powerful statement in court as he is due to be sentenced today. 

The comedian is currently in Southwark Crown Court after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The prosecution has asked the judge for a category-one sentence ranging from 10 to 15 years for his rape conviction.

His charges relate to offences committed against four different women between 2004 and 2009. One of them, a woman who was sexually assaulted by Brand in a bar in Soho, London, in 2004, spoke out in court this morning. 

Speaking from behind a curtain to protect her anonymity, she said: “I wanted to express how this crime has affected me over the years. When it happened, I was in complete shock and turmoil for weeks trying to process what had happened to me.

“I was extremely upset and traumatised. It really affected how I viewed myself, I didn’t have any respect for myself and got into situations with toxic men as I didn’t have any self-worth. I literally lost any love for myself for a long time, thinking that I was damaged goods.

“I felt vulnerable when I was going out for the evening for a long time after it happened, scared of giving any signal that could be taken the wrong way.”

Credit: Laura Thompson/Shutterstock

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She said it was “impossible” to escape seeing the comedian, who was “being celebrated for his disgusting behaviour against women like it was all a joke”. 

“There were many times I felt visibly sick at the sight of him parading around, thinking he could get away with anything,” she continued. “Over the years I tried not to think about it and get on with my life – I had a beautiful daughter who helped me to heal and learn to love myself again and to try and be the best mum in the world for her.

“Even more terrifying was seeing my character be torn apart on social media by people believing all of us women were making it up. It was hugely upsetting for myself, my family and friends who wanted to scream at their phones whilst scrolling through.

“There have been accusations and death threats from manic supporters of him on social media, which has installed a genuine fear that my name will somehow get out there and some crazy person will come after me or my family.

“The last three years have been a massive strain on myself and my family navigating this whole procedure; the fear and anticipation of the trial has taken a huge toll on my mental and physical health.”

The brave victim powerfully ended her statement: “I felt like my life was on hold for all of that time waiting for my time to speak out about what happened to me. As they say, a leopard may change its spots, but at the end of the day it’s still a leopard and not a gazelle.”

For more, like The Tab on Facebook. Featured image credit: Laura Thompson/Shutterstock