Netflix confirms Russell Brand documentary to be released tomorrow

Netflix is set to release a new documentary about Russell Brand's rise to fame and his criminal trial tomorrow. Russell Brand: Open Secret will drop on the streaming platform tomorrow after the comedian was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison. He was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

The trial began on 14 October at London's Southwark Crown Court and saw six women give evidence against the TV and film personality.

A synopsis reads: "From comedy stardom to a criminal trial, the documentary charts the story of Russell Brand’s meteoric rise and steep fall following allegations of sexual offences."

Russell Brand: Open Secret comes from 72 Films, the producers of Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.

Directed by Olivia Isaacs, the documentary features inside voices and archive footage that provides insight into Brand’s life.

It will also give viewers a look into the investigation run by The Times and The Sunday Times, through their Chief News Correspondent, Rosamund Urwin, and Investigations Correspondent, Charlotte Wace.

Brand was sentenced on 9 November for crimes committed against four women between 2004 and 2009. The sentence was reduced by a year because of mitigating factors.

The judge said that Brand would likely serve two-thirds of his sentence before being released on licence.

Brand was found guilty of raping a then-21-year-old woman at his mansion in Hampstead, North London, after meeting her at his 2009 stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo.

He was also found guilty of committing sexual assault on a Channel 4 worker who had been forced to give him a massage in 2009. He was convicted of groping a Capital Radio worker after meeting her in a corridor in 2005.

Brand was found guilty of sexually assaulting the third claimant, but not guilty of going on to rape her in a toilet. He was found not guilty on two counts of rape, and one count of attempted indecent assault.

Russell Brand: Open Secret is released on Netflix on 13 November.

If you've been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information from Rape Crisis England and Wales, which works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct, on its website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.

Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.

Freelance Reporter, Digital Spy Rebecca is a freelance journalist who specializes in TV and film. After beginning her career as a digital entertainment journalist for the Express & Star and Shropshire Star, she embarked on a freelance career in 2021 contributing to the likes of Metro UK, The Sun, WhatCulture, Screen Rant, FilmHounds Magazine and more. Her particular field of interest is horror cinema and she has written for genre publications such as Ghouls Magazine and Moving Pictures Film Club. LinkedIn