Russell Brand reveals he did not say ‘I do’ to Katy Perry for all the right reasons.
The comedian doubles down on his brief marriage to the phenomenal singer, revealing his thoughts on why their union was so short-lived. He placed all his cards on the table while describing his ex as a genuine lover, amid bearing full responsibility for their failed marriage.
Russell Brand recently gained attention for sexual assault allegations. The podcaster previously admitted to having sexual relations with a 16-year-old when he was almost twice her age.
Brand spilled the tea on the backstory surrounding his brief marriage to the iconic singer, sharing that he went into the union for the wrong reasons. The comedian admittedly said, “I didn’t handle that marriage very well” during his appearance in an interview with Megyn Kelly. He revealed that he was already struggling with his own life, feeling unfulfilled, and thought saying vows to the singer would help his self-esteem.
“Here’s me taking total responsibility for all the mistakes I made in that marriage. I wanted to grab her like this kind of, ‘There, got it,’” he said, adding that he felt like he was inadequate on his own. Brand continued revealing that he viewed Perry as a “glorious thing” and, as a result, pushed for them to get married early. “I felt inadequate and insecure and that I wasn’t enough and that if I was married to her, I’d somehow be a better person and more important,” Brand added before admitting that he has since realized his faults.
The 50-year-old comedian shared during his appearance on SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show” that his expectations of Perry put a great amount of unnecessary pressure and strain on their union. Brand and the “Roar” singer said their vows in October 2010. He filed for divorce just after their marriage clocked a little over a year later in December 2011, citing “irreconcilable differences.” Their divorce was eventually finalized in July 2012.
The Podcaster Described His Ex As A ‘Really Lovely’ Person
In his interview with the political commentator, Brand did not exempt talking about the love he shared with Perry. He described being in love as an amazing experience, adding that the “Unconditionally” singer was a very young woman with big dreams at the time they got married.
Talking about the popstar, Brand said, “She has an innocence. She’s a very beautiful person. She’s also incredibly driven and has worked really, really hard. I saw her working really hard. But she was really, really, really lovely.” He saw her achieve her dreams of becoming a world-famous pop star, but still struggled with the mindset of obligations he hoped she would fulfill for him during their marriage.
Brand admitted that there were times when he felt lonely while she was focused on her work, but tried to snap out of it with the consolation that he married a pop star. This only left him questioning why the relationship was not working. The former couple has not been in touch since Brand disclosed his intentions of splitting up. However, he told Kelly that he stays in touch with Perry’s parents “cause they’re good Christian folks.”
The Songwriter Had A Bizarre Nickname For Brand
During the height of the sexual assault claims made against the actor, it was revealed by TV personality Piers Morgan that Perry had given Brand a nickname with an eyebrow-raising meaning. Morgan revealed that the iconic vocalist had dubbed her ex Rasputin, which is Russian for “debauched one.” Yahoo! details that the name is also associated with a high-profile man from the 1900s Russian court who was renowned for seducing women.
While it is unclear why Perry gave the actor the nickname, he reportedly admitted that he was “thrilled” by it. The nickname could not be revealed at a better time than when he was facing sexual assault allegations from different women. One of the women accused the British actor of raping her against the wall without a condom. She narrated that they met in June 2012 and had engaged in subsequent consensual sexual activity at his Los Angeles home.
However, on the morning of July 1, he proposed that she engage in a threesome with him and a friend waiting in his bedroom. She declined and “tried to get away from him,” but Brand pushed her to a wall, grabbed at her underwear, and pulled it to the side. She claimed she repeatedly asked him to “get off,” but he did not oblige; instead, he raped her against the wall without a condom.
In April 2025, Brand was charged with five counts of assault and rape after four different women made allegations against him. The alleged assaults took place in the U.K between 1999 and 2005. The earliest claim by one of the women dates back to 1999 and allegedly took place in the south of England; the next happened about two years later.
The Blast reported that one of the women claimed that she was indecently assaulted in London in 2001. The third woman had similar claims but with a different timeline. She revealed that Brand had sexually assaulted her in London between 2004 and 2005. The last claim was more specific, with the woman alleging that the actor orally raped and sexually assaulted her in London in 2004.
By December, the charges increased as the Metropolitan Police brought further charges of rape and sexual assault against Brand, related to two additional women and incidents allegedly from 2009. The comedian has denied the allegations, and in May 2025 and February 2026, he pleaded not guilty to the charges, maintaining that all his past sexual encounters were consensual. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 12, 2026.
Russell Brand Rises To His Own Defense Amid Katy Perry’s Silence
Perry has not issued any statement or publicly addressed the sexual assault charges raised against her ex-husband since they made headlines. Brand, however, has spoken in his own defense, stating that he did no wrong sleeping with a 16-year-old when he was thirty in London.
The actor disclosed that the incident occurred during his days of promiscuity, noting that he feels no remorse for having sex with someone almost half his age at the time. The Blast shattered that while he did not reveal the identity of the individual, he stressed that he was not in the wrong for engaging in the sexual escapade, as 16 is the age of consent in the U.K.
The comedian reiterated that he has only had consensual sex with all his partners, including the 16-year-old. Admittedly, he shared that in the past, he was mostly not kind to his partners, but he never assaulted them by doing anything against their will and without their consent.
Is a response from Katy Perry to Russell Brand brewing?