Russell Brand sends message from behind bars and says ‘something strange is happening’

Russell Brand has sent us a message from behind bars via his wife, Laura (Picture: Jewel Samad/AFP via Getty Images) Russell Brand’s wife, Laura, has spoken out for the first time following his sentencing, revealing a message he wrote behind bars. The convicted rapist was sent down for 10 years and six months on Monday, having been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault committed between 2004 and 2009. Brand, 51, will serve roughly seven years of his sentence with the remainder on licence and will be added to the sex offenders register. The disgraced actor and comedian was supported throughout his trial by his wife, whom he wed in 2017 and has three children with. Reappearing after his imprisonment, she shared a video on Brand’s YouTube channel, which boasts 6.6million subscribers. Titled ‘The Good Work Continues’, the hour-long video is part of Brand’s ‘Sunday Service’ series, which she has vowed to take over. Brand was supported by his wife of nine years throughout his rape and sexual assault trial (Picture: Elizabeth Cook/Press Association) Brand famously found God in late 2023 following the publication of sexual assault and predatory behaviour allegations. Towards the end of the vlog, Laura read out a message from Brand, which confirmed his location as HMP Littlehey near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, which is specifically for men convicted of sex offences. ‘Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, God bless you for your support,’ it began. ‘As you know, I am not guilty of the offences I have been jailed for, so something strange is happening. ‘The good news is that Christ is with us when we choose him, and I do. ‘I am incarcerated in HMP Littlehey. “Little” as in small, and “hey” as in “Hey, I’m in the biggest sex offenders prison in Europe.” ‘The good news is that I have already seen that the staff here are strong; they are kind, and they are dedicated, and as for my fellow prisoners, I now know that I am in no position to judge anyone.’ The disgraced comedian will serve seven years of his 10-year, six-month sentence (Picture: Zeynep Demir/Anadolu via Getty Images) ‘I don’t know which other men here are not guilty, and the ones that are, they are people that Christ died to save, like you and me,’ he concluded. ‘Let us all love, pray for, and forgive one another, as God forgave us.’ Becoming tearful, Laura ended with: ‘Please support my treasured wife and family. I feel your prayers.’ Earlier in the video, Laura, 39, told followers: ‘I’m here to continue the good work that was being established here in this Sunday Service community, something very, very close to mine and Russell’s heart. ‘It may look different, but the ambitions are very much the same, and we trust God, and we trust His plans, and we trust everything He’s doing right now.’ Laura continued: ‘Even though it’s painful and, obviously, will take some getting used to for me to even sit here and not have my companion and my person with me, I want to continue, and I’m grateful for the support, and I’m grateful for you. Thank you for your messages.’ Amid reports that the Get Him to the Greek star has already been ‘receiving abuse’ from fellow inmates, she shared: ‘Although Russell is not here now, at this moment, the Holy Spirit is moving, and the Holy Spirit cannot be restrained. Laura has already visited Brand behind bars (Picture: AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The convicted rapist is being held at HMP Littlehey (Picture: Chris Radburn/PA Wire) ‘I’m speaking to Russell. He’s OK, and he’s praying, unsurprisingly. He’s praying, and we decided for me to continue, and he asked if I would read the rest of the Philippians passage, which I will continue to do now from his Bible.’ Laura proceeded with the reading before adding footage from an ‘unused episode’ that featured Brand and was ‘put on hold’ during his trial’. ‘We decided that we would love to share it with you today, and I’m gonna read some supportive comments and some lovely feedback I’ve had to close off the show. Thank you for being with us,’ she told viewers as the unseen episode began. She later returned to read out comments from her phone, sent by fans of the sex offender. Brand was initially sent to HM Prison Wandsworth, a Category B men’s jail in South West London, where he was in solitary confinement. Prison sources claimed his status and high-profile crimes made him a ‘target’, and other detainees ‘would love nothing more than to make a name for themselves by attacking him’. Brand was reportedly ‘horrified’ upon seeing his cell, where he asked if he could have privacy while using the toilet, and has been advised to cut his long hair so he’s less ‘conspicuous’. He was expected to be transported to HMP Wakefield – where convicted paedophile and Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins was stabbed to death in May – in the coming days but was later said to have been secretly sent to Category C prison, HMP Littlehey. The new ‘cushy’ facility houses male sex offenders and offers activities including yoga, choir, and origami classes, plus an astroturf pitch, two gyms, sports halls, and space for indoor bowls. Meanwhile, a further eight women have since come forward to accuse him of sexual abuse and predatory behaviour. Brand, who insisted throughout his trial that his sexual relationships were ‘consensual’, has also been accused of raping a 16-year-old, whom he would allegedly refer to as ‘the child’ in front of his entourage. Mia Latter, now 37, waived her right to anonymity to publicly accuse him of assaulting her when he was 30, which had a lasting impact on her life. Deals of the Day The best Black Friday beauty deals on the Dr Barbara Sturm face cream and hyaluronic serum The best Black Friday sleep deals to upgrade your bedroom with Simba’s 33% off sale Why shoppers are rushing to snap up this 99p Audible deal before Christmas 14,500 five-star reviews later, this cult sleep spray is discounted for Black Friday Shoppers ditch expensive dental work for these £19.99 MySweetSmile whitening strips Arrow MORE: After calls to change the law, how would staggered age of consent work? 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