British-Irish comedian Jimmy Carr has come under heavy fire for making an “abhorrent” joke at the expense of the recently incarcerated Russell Brand.
Brand was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison on November 9 after being found guilty of r*pe and s*xual a*sault on four women dating back to 1999.
The same day, Carr posted a clip on social media of himself taking a jab at Brand, which many found in poor taste.
Highlights
- Comedian Jimmy Carr antagonized fans by cracking a joke about Russell Brand immediately after the latter's incarceration.
- Many found it “despicable,” while others accused Carr of “enabling” Brand for years.
- The two together appeared on a comedy show that also featured Katherine Ryan, who called Brand a “predator” to his face.
“Cashing in on this is beyond despicable,” one user commented.
Fellow comedian Jimmy Carr made a dig at Russell Brand after his prison conviction
In the 33-second video, which has since amassed 4.2 million views on X (formerly Twitter), an audience member asked Jimmy Carr for his thoughts on Russell Brand.
“It’s crazy to think that Russell Brand is going to jail for something he didn’t do… get consent,” Carr responded.
“I think Russell Brand’s views on s*x and consent are going to radically change in the next week,” he added, hinting at the prevalence of s*xual misconduct in prison facilities.
Carr’s response has drawn a mixed response from netizens, with some blasting him for making light of a grave subject and others commending him for his “brilliant” impromptu answer.
“Someone asks you about a man recently convicted of r*pe, and your response is two r*pe jokes. Very on brand,” one person said. Another wrote, “He is low-hanging fruit. Think of his little kids. You're better than this, friend.”
“Trying to sell tickets on the back of a rap*st being sent down is a sc*m move,” a third said.
A fourth wrote, “Turning r*pe into a punchline is what passes for comedy when wit, originality, and basic human decency are all in short supply.”
“Nothing wrong with this. He's just telling the truth,” one person spoke up in his support. Another wrote, “That joke was funny asf. People need to grow up.”
Netizens blasted Carr for “enabling” Brand for years despite allegations
Many users also pointed out that Carr continued to work with Brand despite being called out previously for his behavior toward women. Some also accused Carr of perpetuating the “r*pe culture” through his jokes.
“You chose him as a recurring guest on several shows over which you had editorial control for years. What a turncoat and public-posturing grifter,” one user said.
A second person said, “You should be ashamed. I thought you had more integrity than that. Scraping the barrel with prison r*pe jokes and turning your back on him for a few cheap laughs.”
“You spent years telling r*pe jokes in your stand-up routines, which contributed to the culture that enabled him to get away with these things for so long,” said a third.
“You laughed along at his r*pe jokes for years. And did nothing when Katherine Ryan tried to speak up about him,” said another.
This wasn’t the first time Carr has found himself in trouble over jokes about violating women.
In one segment of his 2024 comedy special Natural Born Killer, he said, “I used to share a house with a woman who swore a ghost was having s*x with her in her dreams. I thought, ‘Jesus Christ! From now on, I gotta mash two pills into her food.’”
He went on to joke that he believed he could get away with it without being caught, saying: “Only 15% of r*pes are ever reported, and only 2% of those ever lead to a conviction. Now, I’m not advocating r*pe, but I like those odds.”
Ryan felt “grief” and “relief” after Brand was put behind bars
Carr and Brand together appeared on several British comedy panel shows, most notably The Big Fat Quiz of the Year and Roast Battle.
In 2018, fellow Roast Battle judge Katherine Ryan repeatedly called Brand a “s*xual predator” to his face on camera, but it did not make the final TV broadcast.
Brand reportedly was “absolutely furious” over the accusation and left the show after six episodes.
She talked about the incident without naming Brand during her 2025 stand-up special, First Born Daughter. She said she initially turned the job down but made the “moral decision” to confront him, “but in a fun way.”
Ryan said that Brand threw a “hissy fit” and threatened to quit the show, after which the network, Comedy Central, issued him a new contract that forced her to “be nice” for the rest of his time on the show. Jonathan Ross eventually replaced him.
After Brand was sent to jail, where he reportedly had a nightmare of a time being verbally attacked by fellow inmates in the first few hours, Katherine Ryan opened up on the matter on her Telling Everybody Everything podcast.
"I will never be someone who, like, dances on graves. There has been some justice done today. There’s a level of relief, but there’s grief alongside relief,” she said, adding that she was “in awe” of survivors who came forward despite Brand’s fame, power, and money.
Several other celebrities, such as Dannii Minogue, Katy Brand, Vanessa Feltz, and his ex-wife Katy Perry, have also made public allegations against him.
"Aren't you best mates with him?" asked one user
