Weeks before Russell Brand’s conviction for rape and sexual assault by a court in the UK, he appeared as a featured speaker on a video call for Maha Action, an American group closely allied with the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr.It was a reflection on the warm embrace Brand, a comedian and actor, has received from prominent Trump administration officials and other leaders in Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” (Maha) movement, where Brand has used his star status to criticize vaccines and vaccine mandates, junk food, and pharmaceutical companies. He has also heaped praise on Kennedy and other members of the Trump administration.“You’ve just been a great force in the world and a great force for Maha,” Tony Lyons, who runs Maha Action and has close ties to Kennedy, said to Brand during that call in October.

He also said at the time that he believed Brand was falsely accused. “We will stand up for you every week, week after week.”Now, Maha must contend with Brand’s new status as a convicted rapist. He is due to be sentenced on Monday after being found guilty of raping a fan and sexually assaulting three other women.

The actor and Christian influencer, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges, was described during his trial as a ruthless, calculated and manipulative sexual predator.Brand was acquitted of two other rape charges and attempted indecent assault. It has also been revealed that he is now under investigation for two further rape allegations.In the UK, Brand’s fall from star to convicted rapist centered on how the actor committed his crimes at the height of his fame.

In the US, the trial did little to tarnish Brand’s standing in the Maha movement.Among Brand’s most vociferous supporters has been Lyons, who runs Maha Action and other Kennedy-allied Maha groups, has close business ties to Kennedy, and published a book Brand wrote about converting to Christianity. Lyons accompanied Brand as he left court during his first week on trial, according to video captured by Reuters.

On the Maha Action video call the following day, Lyons urged people to buy Brand’s book before tossing the call to Brand.Lyons did not respond to the Guardian’s request for comment in the wake of Brand’s conviction.During the two Maha Action calls he joined during trial, Brand did not address the charges against him, but spoke about experiencing “the ceremonial pressure of a trial” and praised Kennedy, Mehmet Oz – another senior US health official – and others in the Maha movement. He has been involved with Maha Action since 2025 and has participated as a featured speaker on a number of the group’s calls.

In one video call last year that included Oz, Brand dialed in while naked in a bathtub.Brand was a moderator for a segment at the Maha Summit in September, at a daylong event that featured Kennedy, JD Vance and other Trump administration officials.Brand and Oz kicked off their joint appearance together by making a joke about Brand touching a female member of Trump’s cabinet.“Russell Brand was backstage hugging the secretary of agriculture, but here he is,” Oz told the crowd as Brand walked on stage. “Took Maha to a whole new level.”“She initiated that contact, I should make clear, doctor,” Brand quipped in reply, prompting Oz to throw back his head, heartily laugh and slap both knees.At the end of the segment, Kennedy, Oz and another health department official, Dan Brillman, joined Brand for photos in front of the audience.Two weeks later, Brand’s trial began across the Atlantic Ocean.The US Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to messages seeking comment on the involvement of Kennedy, Oz and Brillman with Brand.Brand is a British citizen, but moved to the United States before the 2024 presidential election.His citizenship status in the United States is unclear. In a video posted in September 2025 by an immigration law firm, Brand provided an endorsement of its work, saying “when I become an American citizen” it will be because of the law firm.Brand has recently referred to the US as “your country”.“Your country has a lot of problems.

Not as much as mine, as a matter of fact,” Brand said during the Maha Summit. “My country’s got some serious, serious problems.”In the second Maha call he joined, during his trial on 21 October, as the midterm elections loomed, he thanked Lyons for his support.“Even in a time of great adversity, knowing that I have your support, Tony, has been incredibly valuable,” Brand said. “This is a really important time for your country, a really important time for your movement in particular.”