UK5 min(s) read
Russell Brand’s wife’s unsettling 5-word message to disgraced comedian during sentencing
The unsettling five-word message Russell Brand's wife said to the disgraced comedian during sentencing has been revealed.
The 51-year-old appeared at Southwark Crown Court today (November 9), after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault offences against four women between 2004 and 2009 last week.
Following the four-week trial, Brand was acquitted on two other counts of rape and one of attempted indecent assault, as a judge told the former radio presenter to expect a "significant custodial term".
Russell Brand's wife reportedly shared emotional words in court
Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher, was among his supporters attending the sentencing hearing, where the comedian will face the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence.
According to The Sun, the Get Him to the Greek star turned to his family and associates sitting behind him in the public gallery and said: "It’ll be OK, I don’t know how, but it will," to his wife.
She reportedly responded: "Oh God...I love you." She also mouthed "I love you" again as Brand exited the dock, per BBC News.
The exchange came as the court heard powerful victim impact statements from women whose lives had been affected by Brand's crimes.
Gallacher shook her head as one woman, who was sexually assaulted by Brand in a Soho bar in 2004, read out an emotional statement, telling the court that she was "extremely upset and traumatized" by the attack.
She also revealed that she has received death threats from Brand’s "manic supporters" and feels like her life was "on hold" while waiting for the opportunity to speak publicly about her experience.
"For many years, as his star was rising, it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, being celebrated for his disgusting behaviour against women like it was all a joke," she shared. "There were many times I felt visibly sick at the sight of him parading around think he can get away with anything."
Another victim also spoke out about the devastating consequences of Brand's actions.
The woman, who was sexually assaulted by Brand at a radio station in 2005, said the incident had a "lasting impact" on her life.
"Russell Brand has managed to move on and even forget that he sexually assaulted me violently in a very public place and in front of people," she said, adding that the actor is a "sexual predator who has no remorse for how his behaviour has impacted my life...I just hope that he is not allowed to hurt any more women."
A third woman, whom Brand was convicted of raping in 2009, described how the assault had affected her personal and professional life.
She revealed that the impact was so severe that she had to take time off work and return to live with her parents.
The woman told the court that she continues to carry the trauma "every day, and it often feels never-ending".
"I hope the court can understand the large and overarching impact this has had on me, and continues to have on me to this day," she told the court.
Laura Gallacher previously defended Brand during his trial
Gallacher is the daughter of former golfer Bernard Gallacher and sister of TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher.
She was reportedly seen leaving court in tears after the guilty verdicts were delivered last week, while Brand was seen mouthing "I'm OK" to his lawyers before being taken to the cells.
During the trial, Gallacher revealed in court that the comedian had cheated on her in the past by sleeping with other women when they first dated in 2006 and 2007.
She said they rekindled their romance in 2015, before getting married two years later. They now have three children together.
Despite acknowledging difficulties during the early stages of their relationship, Gallacher described Brand as a loving husband and devoted father.
"Russell, my husband, is caring, he is kind, he is a wonderful father to our children. He is an amazingly attentive husband. He has got an eye for detail I’ve never known before...The way he treats me is to really know me, I feel very seen by him in every way. I love him very much," she told jurors, per The Independent.
She said she was aware that "he liked women" before they met, and found out while they were dating that he had been having sex with other people
"I wasn’t interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people. I was invested, we both had told each other we loved each other, but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous," she said.
The pair remained friends when Brand married Katy Perry, and they got back together as a couple in 2015 and married in 2017.
Asked whether she had been "aware of his promiscuity" during their time apart, Gallacher responded: "I was very aware of it. I could read about it regularly in the papers, so I was aware of it, and he also told me."
Describing their relationship now, she added: "We have a very honest, frank, and clear relationship and marriage. It is one of the most important parts of our marriage, and our relationship has always been honest."