Teaser: Netflix to Release Russell Brand Documentary Following His Prison Sentence

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Netflix is set to release a new documentary examining the life, career and legal troubles of Russell Brand on November 13. Titled Russell Brand: Open Secret, the film explores his rise to fame as a comedian, the sexual offence allegations made against him and the criminal proceedings that followed.

The documentary arrives just days after Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison. A jury at Southwark Crown Court found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two additional rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault.

Featuring archive footage and interviews with people who knew Brand, the documentary traces his journey from a successful entertainer to a figure at the centre of serious criminal allegations. It also revisits the 2023 investigation by The Times and The Sunday Times, which brought multiple allegations against him into the public spotlight.

Two journalists involved in the investigation, Rosamund Urwin, chief news correspondent at The Sunday Times, and Charlotte Wace, investigations correspondent at The Times, appear in the documentary to discuss their reporting. Their work was also featured in Channel 4’s Dispatches.

Russell Brand: Open Secret follows the investigation from its initial stages through to the criminal trial and conviction. The film also addresses the Metropolitan Police’s confirmation that Brand is facing a separate investigation involving further rape allegations made by two other women. These allegations are unrelated to the charges heard during his recent trial.

Before the allegations emerged, Brand had established himself as a prominent comedian, television personality and film actor. His acting credits include Hollywood comedies such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek. The documentary revisits his rise in the entertainment industry while examining the events that led to his legal troubles.

Directed by Olivia Isaacs, the documentary is produced by 72 Films, a Fremantle-owned production company. The team has previously worked on Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.

Clare Cameron, David Glover and Mark Raphael serve as executive producers, while Kate Yandle, Laura Spence and Felicity Cross are credited as producers.

Russell Brand: Open Secret will be available to stream worldwide on Netflix from November 13.