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Russell Brand is back in the headlines — but this time, it’s for serious legal reasons. In April 2025, the actor and comedian was formally charged with rape and multiple counts of sexual assault involving incidents that allegedly took place between 1999 and 2005.
Before these charges became public, Brand — who is now married to his second wife, Laura Gallacher — reflected on his first marriage to pop star Katy Perry, a relationship that once captivated the tabloids and fans alike.
Here’s a closer look at their relationship, including how they met, when they got married, and why it all came to an end.
How Did Russell Brand and Katy Perry Meet?
Perry and Brand first met in 2009 during the filming of Get Him to the Greek, in which Perry had a cameo role involving a kissing scene with Brand.
“When he was filming Get Him to the Greek, I did a cameo with him. My scene called for me to make out with him,” Perry told Glamour in 2010 about working with Brand two years earlier. “And on the way down the stairs after the scene, I was hopping like a bunny. I hop like a bunny when I’m happy — I get a bit childlike. He gives me the Christmas Eve jitters.”
Although the scene was ultimately cut from the film, their initial interaction sparked interest. They reconnected later that year at the MTV Video Music Awards, where Brand was hosting.
Reflecting on the moment she made the first move, Perry told Esquire in July 2010, “I was 25, 30 feet away from him. And I threw the bottle straight at him. Hit him smack dab on the head.” The move may have been unconventional, but it worked — the two were later spotted making out at an MTV VMAs after-party.
When Did Russell Brand and Katy Perry Get Married?
In 2009, Brand proposed to Perry on New Year’s Eve during a trip to Jaipur, India. The couple tied the knot on October 23, 2010, in a lavish Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary in Rajasthan.
Why Did Russell Brand and Katy Perry Get Divorced?
Brand filed for divorce on December 30, 2011, citing irreconcilable differences. According to Perry, he ended the marriage via text, “saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011,” she told Vogue in a 2013 interview. Their divorce was finalized in July 2012.
In later interviews, Perry suggested that Brand struggled with her rising success and the dynamic of her being “the boss” while on tour. “At first when I met him he wanted an equal, and I think a lot of times strong men do want an equal, but then they get that equal and they’re like, ‘I can’t handle the equalness’,” she said, during her Vogue interview. “He didn’t like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour. So that was really hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting.”
Brand, however, shared a different perspective during the April 3 episode of his podcast Stay Free with Russell Brand. “What I can tell you is, when I was married to Katy Perry — she’s not entirely normal, because she’s an extraordinary, massive star — but she’s not weird or off-key. And wasn’t involved in anything nefarious, as far as I could tell,” he said.
He added, “The reasons that a marriage didn’t work are the normal human reasons marriages don’t work, and I have nothing but respect for her.”
When I was married to Katy Perry, there wasn’t anything off-key with her, nor was she involved in anything nefarious.
Our marriage didn’t work out for normal, human reasons. I have nothing but respect for her!
(Plus, my daughters LOVE Katy Perry) pic.twitter.com/QwVyIKVkjs
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) April 3, 2025
Brand has previously reflected on the more chaotic aspects of their relationship.
“Some aspects of it were amazing — she’s an amazing person,” he shared during his 2023 appearance on Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge. “It was kind of incredible to live for a moment in that eye-of-the-cyclone type aspect of fame.”
He continued, “Aside from my feelings of affection for Katy, it’s a time that I remember as being a little bit chaotic and, for me — I’ll speak for myself — a little disconnected. Life humbles us and teaches us, and the journey is not always easy.”
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
