Jimmy Carr has received strong criticism over his recent joke about Russell Brand's rape conviction.
The comedian joked about it during a live stand up set, with many people accusing of "cashing in" on this matter.
This comes after disgraced comedian and broadcaster, Russell Brand was sentenced to ten and a half years for rape and sexual assault, following a four week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London. Brand was convicted on one count of rape, and three counts of sexual assault.
The offences saw Brand jailed for raping a 21 year old woman in 2009, and sexually assaulting three other women between 2004 and 2009. He was cleared of two further charges of rape and one of attempted indecent assault.
More on this story here.
Disgraced comedian, Russell Brand was found guilty for rape and sexual assault at Soutwark Crown Court. Photo credit: Shutterstock.
Not long after Brand was found guilty, Jimmy Carr shared a video of his comedy show on X, where he was asked by an audience member about his thoughts regarding the issue.
“What do you think about Russell Brand?", asked one fan in the video.
To this, Carr issued the following response.
“Well, this is interesting,” he told the audience. “It’s crazy to think that Russell Brand is going to jail for something he didn’t do… get consent".
Carr then went on to make this remark in reference to Brand's sentencing.
“I think Russell Brand’s views on sex and consent are going to radically change in the next week", he said.
The video, which you can check out below, has accumulated 3 million views, and has received a largely mixed response from fans, with some accusing Carr of making light of such a serious issue.
Such comments included one fan writing: “OK, so someone asks you about a man recently convicted of rape, and your response is two rape jokes".
Another labelled the joke "despicable", saying: “Cashing in on this is beyond despicable".
“I don’t think the timing to make jokes about this will ever be appropriate", another commented.
Jimmy Carr had previously worked with Russell Brand, with the pair having appeared on shows such as, Roast Battle, and Big Fat Quiz of the Year, a fact which some fans were also quick to point out.
One person wrote: “It’s a pity you weren’t so forthcoming when you were repeatedly appearing on TV shows and comedy line-ups with him".
Representatives from Jimmy Carr have yet to comment on the recent matter.
