Megyn Kelly voiced her disapproval after Russell Brand was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for rape and sexual assault.
“I don’t believe the charges,” Kelly, 55, said during the Monday, November 9, episode of The Megyn Kelly Show. “And I don’t have to believe them just because the jury came through with the opposite conclusion. I feel indignant that this obvious conservative stalwart has been targeted.”
Brand, 51, received a sentence of 10 years and six months during a hearing on Monday, less than a week after he was found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. (He was tried on a total of seven charges.)
“I’m good, I’m good,” Brand mouthed to his defense team after the ruling.
Multiple women accused Brand of sexual assault, rape and emotional abuse, with the allegations being explored in the Channel 4 documentary Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.
During her show on Monday, Kelly dismissed the claims made against Brand as “grabbing boobs, kissing, sniffing and having that kind of sex with a woman who consented to vaginal sex with him seconds beforehand, and also had clearly been joking with him.”
“And he had backdoor sex with a woman who licked his backdoor before she was even introduced to him,” she continued. “This is insane.”
Kelly argued the outcome of Brand’s trial was “an outrage,” adding, “This is an obvious double standard. And if you needed any further proof that this is a political witch hunt against Russell Brand, that judge just gave it to us.”
Brand previously denied the allegations ahead of his trial. His father, Ron Brand, also expressed his disappointment after the judge delivered the sentence on Monday, claiming his son was the “victim.”
Hours after the actor’s fate was revealed in court, news broke that he is under investigation for additional rape allegations made by two unidentified women.
“The suspect has previously been interviewed under caution in connection with the allegations,” a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police told Us, adding, “Detectives remain in close contact with prosecutors as enquiries continue and further investigative work is carried out.”
If you have experienced sexual assault, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 for confidential support.
