Russell Brand has spoken publicly about his troubled past and says that finding Jesus changed his life.
Now that Brand has been convicted of rape and may face a lengthy prison sentence, Glenn Beck says his review of the trial has raised questions about whether prosecutors proved the case beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Russell Brand is a dirtbag, or was a dirtbag. I don’t know if he still is,” Beck said, pointing to Brand’s own admissions about his past behavior. He added that Brand had acknowledged doing “all kinds of unspeakable things.”
Beck said some people view Brand’s personal transformation as insincere, but he tends to believe people can change. “I think he did. I think he changed,” he said, recalling Brand’s statement that he was grateful to have found Jesus.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brand became a vocal critic of the response, Beck said. He argued that speaking out in that way could carry serious consequences in the U.K.
Beck said Brand’s rising profile was followed by increased scrutiny and allegations from two women. Brand was later arrested and tried for rape. Beck said the testimony in court appeared to describe rape, while also questioning whether the evidence eliminated reasonable doubt.
“There are those people who absolutely know Russell Brand is absolutely guilty. There are those who think he’s absolutely innocent,” Beck said. “I don’t know.”
He said he does not trust the justice system and that what he had read about the trial left him wondering how the case met the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
