Netflix will release “Russell Brand: Open Secret” on Friday, a documentary tracing the comedian’s rise and conviction, four days after a judge sentenced him to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault.
Olivia Isaacs directed the film, which runs about 84 minutes. It was produced by 72 Films, the Fremantle company behind “Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.” The documentary follows Brand from stand-up and Hollywood roles in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek” through his turn as a political commentator and YouTuber, then to his criminal trial. It draws on archive footage and interviews with insiders. Rosamund Urwin and Charlotte Wace, the reporters who broke the allegations in The Sunday Times in 2023, also appear. Netflix says the film examines how many in television knew of Brand’s behavior while he escaped consequences for years.
Brand, 51, was convicted last week of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women between 2004 and 2009. A jury at Southwark Crown Court acquitted him on two other rape counts and an attempted indecent assault. Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced him Monday, and Brand was taken to HMP Wandsworth. He must serve two-thirds of the term, about seven years, before release on license, and he will stay on the sex offenders’ register for life. He pleaded not guilty and has denied wrongdoing. The Metropolitan Police said this week it is investigating two further rape allegations from two other women.
The announcement follows criticism of Netflix for keeping Brand’s 2018 stand-up special “Russell Brand: Re:Birth” on its service after the verdict. The company has said it has no plans to remove it. Critics see the pairing as a contradiction, since the streamer now profits from both his comedy and a film about his crimes. Netflix has not publicly addressed that objection.
The timing drew notice as well. Commentators pointed out that a documentary of this scale cannot be assembled in days, which suggests the film was prepared before the sentence. The producers have not discussed how they handled the trial’s outcome while editing. Brand’s representatives have not commented on the film, and Netflix has not said whether he or his legal team took part.
