As Russell Brand faces a string of sexual offence allegations, his wife told jurors his character at home is defined by kindness, care and what she described as a deeply honest marriage.
Laura Brand, the sister of TV presenter Kirsty Gallagher, gave evidence at Southwark Crown Court this morning and said the comedian slept with other women during the early months of their relationship in 2006 and 2007.
She told the court they later reunited in 2015, married in 2017 and have three children together.
Addressing the jury, she said: “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.”
The court heard Ms Brand first met Mr Brand in August 2006, after her sister arranged tickets to one of his shows.
She said the performance was “extremely entertaining” and included “very explicit” material, adding that she approached him in the foyer afterwards to thank him for the tickets.
“He obviously acknowledged my friend, who is very beautiful, and said to my friend have you got a boyfriend?
“She said ‘yes, I do’, and he looked at me and said ‘tell me you don’t have a boyfriend’ and I said no.”
Russell Brand denies all of the charges
Ms Brand said that on their first date Mr Brand respected her boundaries, and she told jurors she did not want to have full sex.
She said: “I didn’t intend to, and I don’t remember him asking.”
Describing the start of the relationship, she said Mr Brand was “totally caring” and allowed things to develop “totally at my pace”.
She told the court: “I was not experienced, I had only had one partner before Russell.
“I felt entirely cared for and looked after by Russell.”
Ms Brand said she was aware of his reputation before meeting him – that “he liked women” – and that while they were dating she discovered he was also having sex with other people.
She said: “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 they remained friends during the period in which Mr Brand had a brief marriage to singer Katy Perry, before they resumed their relationship in 2015 and married two years later.
Asked in court whether she was “aware of his promiscuity” during the time they were apart, she replied: “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.”
Speaking about their marriage now, she told jurors: “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.”
Earlier in the day, the court heard statements from two of Mr Brand’s former girlfriends, which were read aloud. They described him in positive terms but also said he had cheated on them.
As his wife gave evidence, Mr Brand was seen smiling and laughing at points, and appeared to mouth words towards her as she spoke about his 2024 baptism.
After Ms Brand finished her testimony, the judge sent jurors away until tomorrow morning.
Mr Brand is accused of raping and sexually assaulting women over a decade of his career in showbusiness.
Giving evidence yesterday, he told jurors that consent is “non-negotiable” and said it is “more important than sex itself”.
He denies three charges of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of attempted indecent assault.
The trial continues.
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