World Politics3 min(s) read
Russell Brand secretly moved to ‘cushy’ prison offering yoga and choir sessions after being sentenced to 10 years
Just days after being sentenced to 10-and-a-half-years in prison for sexual assault and rape, Russell Brand has reportedly been transferred to a more lenient prison.
The 51-year-old, now-disgraced comedian, was moved on Friday from Category B, HMP Wandsworth in south-west London to Category C prison HMP Littlehey.
Brand was sentenced on Monday after being convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, despite having consistently denied wrongdoing, maintaining that his sexual encounters were always consensual.
Brand moved to a more lenient prison according to reports
His new, and reportedly more lenient, prison is understood to house exclusively male sex offenders and offers a range of recreational activities, including yoga, choir, and origami classes.
The facility also boasts an astroturf football pitch, two gyms, sports halls, and indoor bowls facilities, with it being understood that prison authorities had initially considered transferring Brand to HMP Wakefield in West Yorkshire, a facility nicknamed 'Monster Mansion'.
However, the prison was reportedly considered too dangerous for the comedian, particularly following the murder of convicted child sex offender and former Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins by fellow inmates last year.
According to The Sun, Brand is currently being kept in a single-person cell and has yet to interact with other prisoners, with an insider claiming the comedian requested additional blankets on his first night behind bars and has been given his own cell, with extra prison officers assigned to monitor him.
One source told the publication: "Brand looked like he was s*******g himself as he was led to his cell."
Brand's reported behavior in prison is unsurprising
The latest reports follow claims about Brand's apparent behavior when he first arrived at HMP Wandsworth, with a prison source revealing to the Daily Mail that the comedian had entered the facility with an apparent sense of superiority.
The insider claimed he "came floating in almost as though he was the Messiah".
However, the source suggested his confident exterior quickly disappeared once he realized the reality of prison life.
"There was this air of superiority about him," they said, adding that it was "immediately" apparent that he was putting on "an act".
The source continued: "He was incredibly pale, almost as though he was going to be sick."
"Whatever confidence he was trying to project, you could see the fear beneath it."
Brand's imprisonment also comes amid further allegations against the former television presenter, with eight additional women reportedly coming forward with claims of sexual abuse and predatory behaviour.
Among them is Mia Latter, who recently waived her right to anonymity to publicly accuse Brand of raping her when she was 16 and he was 30.
Latter, previously identified under the pseudonym 'Alice', has also launched a campaign calling for changes to Britain's age of consent laws.
Brand has denied the allegations against him.