Jimmy Carr has sparked backlash after posting a joke about Russell Brand just hours after Brand was sentenced to more than a decade in prison for rape and sexual assault.
The clip, shared on X, shows Carr, 52, performing on his new tour when a heckler asks what he thinks about Brand. Carr, who appeared on screen with Brand multiple times throughout his career, replied with a two-part joke that has since been viewed almost three million times.
“What do I think about Russell Brand? Well, this is interesting. It’s crazy to think that Russell Brand is going to jail for something he didn’t do… get consent,” Carr said in the video.
“I think Russell Brand’s views on sex and consent are going to radically change in the next week.”
The post prompted immediate criticism from social media users who found the timing inappropriate. One person wrote: “You may be surprised to learn many of us don’t find anything about Brand a joke.”
Another added: “I don’t think the timing to make jokes about this will ever be appropriate.”
However, some defended Carr’s approach. One supporter called him a “funny man” who was “telling it like it is,” while others praised him for “speaking out” and “thinking on his feet” in response to an audience member.
Brand, 51, was sentenced on Friday after being found guilty on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. He was found not guilty on three other counts. He will serve at least two thirds of his ten-and-a-half-year sentence behind bars.
Judge Mr Justice Bennathan delivered harsh words at the sentencing, describing Brand as a “clever sexual predator” who believed fame could allow him to “act however he liked.”
“About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous. You were clever – and in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator,” the judge said.
“Your status protected you until 2023 when journalists published allegations.”
He continued: “The whole episode reeks of casual disrespect, and your belief that fame meant you could act however you liked, when you liked, unhindered by the rules by which decent people live.”
The convictions stem from incidents between 2004 and 2009, including the rape of a woman in 2009 and sexual assaults on female TV and radio workers. Brand was cleared of two further rape charges and one allegation of attempted indecent assault.
At sentencing, Brand was seen holding a crucifix in his hands while standing in the dock. He received sentences of nine months, 18 months, and eight months for the three sexual assault counts, running concurrently with each other.
The case drew additional attention when Georgina Baillie, granddaughter of Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs, provided a character statement for Brand’s defense. Brand had paid for her rehab for alcohol addiction after the 2008 BBC prank call scandal that ended his career at the corporation. Her statement read in part: “I still choose to support him as a person I know him to be.”
She separately said: “If I could say anything to Russell, I’d probably say just admit when you’ve done wrong. Don’t keep denying, denying, denying. Acknowledge the suffering.”
Brand’s wife, Laura Gallacher, was present throughout the proceedings. The couple, who first met in 2007 and briefly dated when she was 19 and he was 31, reunited in 2015 and married in 2017. Their wedding was attended by celebrities including Noel Gallagher, David Baddiel, Jonathan Ross, and Fearne Cotton.
Brand’s rise to fame began on the stand-up comedy circuit before he hosted Big Brother’s Big Mouth from 2004. He performed at the 2007 Royal Show and released his bestselling memoir My Booky Wook. His 2010-2012 marriage to singer Katy Perry ended when he reportedly broke it off by text message. In 2015, he interviewed then-Labour leader Ed Miliband, who later said in 2023 that he regretted the interview in light of subsequent allegations against Brand.
The outlet has reached out to Jimmy Carr’s representatives for comment.