Rowling says women who were not assaulted by Brand cannot vouch that the conviction is wrong
J.K. RowlingAuthor, posting on her X account
Rowling wrote that saying Brand's conviction must be wrong because he did not rape you after you went home with him makes as much sense as arguing Fred West was innocent because you left his house alive.
“I don't want to shame any particular woman here, but publicly announcing that the #RussellBrand conviction must be wrong because you went home with him and he didn't rape you makes about as much sense as saying 'well, I left 25 Cromwell Street alive, so Fred West's innocent.'”
Original post
Where this statement fits
Russell Brand denied nonconsensual sex; jury convicts him of rape and sexual assault
Russell Brand said his relationships during the period under scrutiny were consensual. A jury later convicted him of rape and three sexual assaults, while acquitting him on three other counts. Prosecutors described abuse of power; Megyn Kelly disputed the credibility of the account underlying the rape conviction.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Post from J.K. Rowling's X account on the evening of November 5, 2026, after a jury convicted Brand of rape and sexual assault, responding to people who said the conviction must be wrong because Brand had not assaulted them.
Before the quotation
A jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted Brand on November 5 of one rape and three sexual assaults and acquitted him on three other counts. That evening some commentators, including Megyn Kelly and Michael Tracey, questioned the verdict.
After the quotation
Rowling did not name anyone. Fred West, a serial killer, murdered several young women at his house at 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Rowling rejects the argument that Brand's conviction must be wrong because some women who spent time with him were not assaulted, so we labeled it as condemning his conduct.
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More from this case
Read the full casePowell calls the cross-examination of Brand's victims depressing and backs the judge on consent
“I found reading some of that incredibly sort of depressing. I thought we'd long gone past that sort of culture and that phase of things. ... And the judge's remarks were also incredibly powerful in sentencing: that it doesn't matter what you wear, how you behaved, how drunk you are, you know, you have the right to give your consent or not give your consent. And if it's not given, then that is rape and that is a sexual offence, pure and simple.”Read statement
Bear Grylls says justice has been served after Brand's conviction
“Brand's faith seemed genuine to me at the time when I was a guest at his private baptism. ... It is right that justice has now been served. I can't imagine how hard this time has been for the victims, the heroes of the day.”Read statement
Miliband's spokesman calls Brand's crimes horrific
“These are horrific crimes that Russell Brand has been found guilty of and Ed's profound sympathy is with the victims.”Read statement
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- Rowling says women who were not assaulted by Brand cannot vouch that the conviction is wrong
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The Dispute Index. "Rowling says women who were not assaulted by Brand cannot vouch that the conviction is wrong". First published: 2026-11-13. Last updated: 2026-11-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/8884-rowling-wrote-that-saying-brand-s-conviction-must