West Ham has removed references to Russell Brand from its official website following the actor and comedian's conviction for rape and sexual assault. Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on Monday after being found guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others.
The 51-year-old, a prominent supporter of the east London club, was cleared of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court. The Metropolitan Police stated that its investigation into additional allegations remains ongoing.
West Ham, who had frequently featured Brand on their official channels, has seemingly distanced itself from the comedian since the guilty verdict. A 2023 article mentioning Brand as a "globally recognised Hammers fan" documenting West Ham's Conference League triumph has been removed, among other references.
Brand, who inherited his support for the club from his father, was often granted VIP access and conducted post-match interviews, at times kissing former managers Sam Allardyce and Slaven Bilic. Daily Mail Sport has contacted West Ham for comment.
This action by the club follows decisions by publishers to withdraw Brand's books from sale. Hodder & Stoughton, publisher of his memoir "My Booky Wook," confirmed it has removed his titles. Pan Macmillan also indicated it was in the process of withdrawing his books. Jurors were shown extracts from "My Booky Wook" during the trial, where Brand discussed his sexual exploits and attitudes toward women, which prosecutors argued supported his accusers' accounts.
Brand was convicted of raping a fan after a 2009 stand-up show, groping an MTV worker in 2004, and sexually assaulting a Capital Radio worker in 2005 and a Channel 4 worker in 2009. He was acquitted of raping a woman at a 1999 conference and attempting to drag an MTV worker into a toilet in 2001.
Mr. Justice Bentham, the judge, informed Brand that his conviction for rape inevitably meant a significant custodial sentence. Rape convictions can carry a life sentence, with maximum determinate sentences often up to 19 years, while sexual assault convictions can carry a maximum of ten years per count.