Russell Brand appeared to be in surprisingly high spirits as he arrived at court on November 9.
At one point, he was seen winking and mouthing “I love you” to his wife, Laura. But the mood was about to change dramatically.
The former comedian and actor was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison, marking the beginning of a very different chapter in his life.
The last public glimpse of Russell Brand came earlier this week, as he was driven into HMP Wandsworth in south London to begin his lengthy prison sentence, after being convicted of rape and sexual assault.
According to reports from inside HMP Wandsworth, his first day behind bars wasn’t easy. The disgraced comedian reportedly faced hostile chants from fellow inmates, struggled with the prison food and been placed in isolation because of concerns for his safety.
Accounts from people claiming to have witnessed his first hours behind bars paint a picture of a man trying to keep his composure in an increasingly uncomfortable situation.
“Brand looked miserable, and a little scared,” one eyewitness reportedly told Daily Mail.
The hostility reportedly began before Brand had even entered the prison.
When his van arrived at around 4:30 p.m., a woman walking her dog allegedly shouted: “Rot in hell… you’re a disgrace.”
And once he was inside, the reception was reportedly no warmer. Prisoners are said to have shouted insults at him from their cell windows.
One inmate allegedly yelled, “No means no,” while Brand was reading the Bible aloud in the prison yard.
”Spent hours reading the Bible”
Prisoners serving sentences at Wandsworth are typically those convicted of serious offenses, including aggravated assault, drug trafficking and robbery.
Sources told the Daily Mail that the 51-year-old has been keeping largely to himself since arriving at HMP Wandsworth.
Rather than mixing with other prisoners, he has reportedly spent much of his time in his cell, reading the Bible and meditating for hours.
”He’s tried hard to maintain a dignified and calm manner, though being jailed for so long is obviously going to be causing him huge distress,” one source told the publication.
“He’s been trying not to show fear, so he’s staying in his cell as much as he can.”
Not everyone who has encountered Brand has described him as frightened, however. Another source claimed that he had spoken to a handful of inmates and came across as surprisingly humble.
”There has been teasing with songs and p**staking—but the ones he’s spoken to have tended to be quite sympathetic, which may have made things slightly easier for him,” the source said.
Former inmate warns Brand is a “marked man”
Brand was reportedly placed in the Care and Separation Unit (CSU), a restricted area used to separate prisoners when there are concerns about their safety or security.
Before being moved there, he underwent a medical examination and strip search.
His cell was reportedly just 9.8 feet by 6.7 feet – a stark contrast to the six-bedroom home he previously shared in Oxfordshire.
His placement in the unit was reportedly influenced by both his celebrity status and concerns about how other prisoners might treat him.
One former inmate, who was released from Wandsworth last year, warned that the comedian could face serious danger if he remained there.
“If Brand stays in Wandsworth, he’s in real trouble—a d**d man walking,” he told The Sun, adding that the actor was a “marked man” and “needs to survive until he’s got his permanent move.”
The former prisoner described the institution as “violent, corrupt, dirty, and noisy.”
Other reports have also raised concerns about conditions inside Wandsworth, including alleged hygiene problems, prisoners staging “dirty protests” and rats reportedly leaving droppings throughout parts of the prison.
Senior solicitor Kally Sahota told Page Six that Brand was expected to remain at Wandsworth for “the next few weeks” before being transferred elsewhere, depending on his “security, safety, and rehabilitation needs.”
Reportedly joined in a humiliating chant
The taunting allegedly intensified over Brand’s first weekend behind bars.
According to the Mail on Sunday, hundreds of inmates joined in a football-style chant aimed directly at the comedian as news of his arrival spread around the prison.
“There’s a Brand new n***e on the wing! A Brand new n***e,” prisoners allegedly sang.
One insider described Brand as increasingly withdrawn, claiming he had barely been leaving his cell.
“Brand only leaves his cell to collect his food at mealtimes before returning. He is going around like a shadow,” the source said.
The same source suggested that staff shortages and the limited opportunities for prisoners to leave their cells over the weekend had made the situation worse.
Dinner was reportedly served at around 4:30 p.m., after which inmates were locked in their cells until 8 a.m. the following morning.
“There is no outside exercise in the yard,” the source claimed.
“They have to get their amusement somewhere, so they’ve made Brand the object, with hundreds of prisoners shouting the chant.”
So far, the harassment has reportedly remained verbal. But one source warned that the attention Brand is receiving could make his position particularly difficult.
“Any celebrity is a high-end target.”
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