Jemima Goldsmith, the former girlfriend of Russell Brand, has publicly accused the disgraced entertainer of violence, coercive control, and abuse during their relationship. Goldsmith, 52, dated Brand for about a year around 2014. In a social media statement on Monday, she revealed that she had to call the police to remove him from her home during a violent incident in 2014 but chose not to press charges.

Her statement came shortly after Brand, 51, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for rape and sexual assault. He was convicted of anally raping a woman at his home in 2009 and three counts of sexual assault against three other women. The judge described Brand as having a "casual arrogant disregard" for women's right to say no, and that his fame led him to believe he could act as he pleased.

A Difficult Period with Lasting Impact

Goldsmith explained that she did not pursue legal action in 2014 because she was worried about the impact of press attention on her then teenage children. She wrote on X: "Whilst my pain in relation to this pales in comparison to what the women have testified in court have suffered, this was a difficult period in my life which has had a lasting impact." She added that she had not seen or spoken to Brand since 2014.

She also expressed admiration for the women who came forward during Brand's trial, saying she was "in awe" of their courage and "glad and relieved" that he had finally faced justice.

Injunction and Online Abuse

In her statement, Goldsmith addressed reports of an injunction taken out by her and Brand in October 2015 that banned a woman, Szilvia Berki, from talking about an alleged assault by Brand at Goldsmith's home the previous year, including to police. Goldsmith said Berki had visited her house for about 30 minutes on 7 June 2014 to give Brand a massage. According to Goldsmith, Berki later told police that Brand had pushed her in the back as she was leaving and that she had been attacked by Goldsmith's dog. Goldsmith said she "did not see anything untoward" during the encounter and that police concluded there was no case to answer after she provided a statement and CCTV footage.

Goldsmith accused Berki of sending "vicious antisemitic and threatening" messages and posting "wild and untrue allegations" about her on social media. She said she agreed to a suggestion from Brand's lawyer to seek an injunction to prevent harassment. She claimed that recent media reporting of the injunction had opened her up "to vile hatred and abuse online".

Victim Impact Statements

During Brand's sentencing hearing, victim impact statements were read from the women he had assaulted. One woman said she was "upset and traumatised" for years after the incident, adding: "I didn't have any respect for myself. I was thinking I was damaged goods - scared of giving off signals that could be taken the wrong way." The woman he was found guilty of raping said the trauma was something she had to "carry every day".

A van believed to be carrying Brand was seen arriving at HMP Wandsworth in London on Monday after the sentencing hearing.