Bear Grylls has addressed Russell Brand’s rape conviction two years after attending the comedian’s private baptism. The British adventurer and television presenter said justice had been served and described the victims as “the heroes of the day.”
As Fox News reported [1], Grylls, best known for survival programs such as “Man vs. Wild,” shared his response Friday on X. His statement reflected on Brand’s faith while emphasizing the role of the courts following the verdict.
“Brand’s faith seemed genuine to me at the time when I was a guest at his private baptism. I have attended a few now.”
“Even visiting in prisons with people who have committed terrible crimes. It’s part of our calling as men and women of faith, to love and serve anyone.”
Grylls connected his participation in religious moments with a broader commitment to serving people, including those who have committed serious crimes. At the same time, he made clear that judgment belonged elsewhere.
“It is the sick that need healing. Judgement is for the courts and God… I wouldn’t want to ever discourage someone’s coming to faith,” Grylls’s statement began.
He then turned directly to the verdict and the women involved in the case. “It is right that justice has now been served. I can’t imagine how hard this time has been for the victims, the heroes of the day.”
Brand’s faith seemed genuine to me at the time when I was a guest at his private baptism.
I have attended a few now. Even visiting in prisons with people who have committed terrible crimes. It’s part of our calling as men and women of faith, to love and serve anyone. It is the sick that need healing. Judgement is for the courts and God… I wouldn’t want to ever discourage someone’s coming to faith.
It is right that justice has now been served.
I can’t imagine how hard this time has been for the victims, the heroes of the day.— Bear Grylls OBE (@BearGrylls) November 6, 2026 [2]
Brand publicly discussed Grylls’s role in the baptism in May 2024, when he posted a video on X following the first week after the ceremony. He thanked Grylls and another friend for standing beside him during the baptism.
“I want to thank Bear Grylls and my mate Joe, the two men that stood either side of me and flanked me for the baptism itself,” Brand said in the video at the time.
First week as a Christian and the biggest challenge has been… https://t.co/GHTL8g0Orl
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) May 6, 2024 [3]
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Grylls, who is described as a devout Christian, also issued a statement to the Daily Mail after the baptism. At that time, he characterized his involvement in the ceremony as a “privilege.”
“Faith and spiritual moments in our lives are really personal, but it is a privilege to stand beside anyone when they express a humble need for forgiveness and strength from above. Friendships when we go through tough times are worth so much,” Grylls told the outlet at the time.
Brand’s faith seemed genuine to me at the time when I was a guest at his private baptism.
I have attended a few now. Even visiting in prisons with people who have committed terrible crimes. It’s part of our calling as men and women of faith, to love and serve anyone. It is the sick that need healing. Judgement is for the courts and God… I wouldn’t want to ever discourage someone’s coming to faith.
It is right that justice has now been served.
I can’t imagine how hard this time has been for the victims, the heroes of the day.— Bear Grylls OBE (@BearGrylls) November 6, 2026 [2]
Brand, 51, was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London. The offenses involved four women and occurred between 2004 and 2009.
The incidents took place during a period when Brand’s career and public profile were growing. The jury found him guilty of raping a 21-year-old fan in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women in separate incidents.
Brand was also cleared of two additional rape charges. The jury further cleared him of one count of attempted indecent assault.
Brand has maintained his innocence throughout the case. After the verdict, he was refused bail and remained in custody ahead of sentencing.
His sentencing was scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9. Police were also investigating two further rape allegations against him, according to the source account.
Brand was photographed arriving at Southwark Crown Court in London on Oct. 29, 2026. He also appeared at the court on Nov. 5, 2026, the same date shown in a courtroom sketch of him in the dock.
Grylls’s latest statement revisited a religious moment he had previously described in supportive terms while separating that experience from the legal judgment. Following Brand’s conviction, he placed his focus on the victims and the justice delivered by the court.