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Court excluded Katy Perry marriage from Russell Brand trial openings
Developing story first seen 3 hours ago
Newly reported details from pre-trial proceedings say prosecutors planned to mention Russell Brand’s marriage to Katy Perry in their opening statements, but removed it after his legal team argued the relationship was irrelevant to the allegations. References to Brand’s religious practices and past alcohol and drug problems were also kept out of the trial’s opening.
Brand was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, and acquitted of two other rape charges and attempted indecent assault. He and Perry married in 2010 and divorced 14 months later; Perry was not asked to give a witness statement during the police investigation. Brand denied the allegations and is due to be sentenced on Monday.
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In short
- Prosecutors reportedly dropped planned references to Perry from their opening.
- The court also excluded references to Brand’s faith and past substance problems.
- Brand was convicted on four counts and acquitted on three.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago A new report puts Brand’s age at 51; the account otherwise repeats that prosecutors dropped the planned references after his lawyers’ objection, and that he is due to be sentenced on Monday.
- 2 hours ago Prosecutors intended to refer to Russell Brand’s marriage to Katy Perry in their opening statement, but left it out after his lawyers objected that it was irrelevant; references to his faith and past substance problems were also excluded, as Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault offences and acquitted of other charges.
Full account
The prosecution had considered referring to Russell Brand’s marriage to Katy Perry in its opening account to the jury, but the subject was left out after objections from Brand’s defence, according to reporting on pre-trial discussions. Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC said the prosecution accepted that references to events after 2009 concerning Perry, as well as Brand’s earlier religious beliefs, could be sensitive and would be removed. The reports also say that references to Brand’s past drinking and drug use were excluded from the trial.
Brand and Perry began dating in 2009 and married in India the following year. Their marriage lasted about 14 months. Perry was not asked to provide a witness statement during the police investigation, the Independent reported. Brand did refer to her once during the trial, saying their relationship had contributed to his rise to “staggering fame”. Perry has not commented publicly on the case. In a 2013 interview, she described the marriage as hurtful and Brand as controlling, while suggesting she had learned a private explanation for its end.
The trial at Southwark Crown Court concluded with Brand convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and a charge of attempted indecent assault. The judge said a significant prison sentence would follow. One of the women who accused Brand had alleged that he raped her at his Los Angeles home in July 2012, several months after his divorce from Perry was finalised. Brand denied the allegations.
A separate report focused on Bear Grylls, who said he believed Brand’s conversion to Christianity was genuine when he attended his baptism in the River Thames in April 2024. Grylls described his presence as part of a faith-based commitment to support people, including those who have committed serious offences, while saying justice had now been served and expressing sympathy for the victims. The baptism took place after allegations against Brand had become public, but before he was charged. Grylls had earlier described attending as a privilege and later posted a statement responding to the verdict.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first report centres on the court’s decision to exclude Perry-related material and other potentially sensitive background from the prosecution opening. The second does not discuss the trial’s opening statements; it examines Grylls’s response to Brand’s conviction and the timing and meaning of his attendance at Brand’s baptism.
The reports offer different contextual detail: the first recounts the marriage, Perry’s past remarks and the allegations and verdict; the second concentrates on Grylls’s faith, his friendship with Brand and his explanation of the baptism. They therefore address separate aspects of the wider story rather than presenting competing accounts of the same decision.
Explained simply
Russell Brand is a British comedian and actor who was accused of sexual offences by several women. In a criminal trial, prosecutors present evidence against the defendant, while the defence can challenge whether proposed material is relevant and should be included.
Brand and the American singer Katy Perry married in 2010 and divorced about 14 months later. Perry was not asked to give a witness statement during the police investigation, and their relationship was separate from the allegations considered in court.
The case matters because it concerns serious allegations and the way a trial is limited to material the court considers relevant. Details about a defendant’s personal life do not automatically form part of the evidence.
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Originally published by New York Post as “Katy Perry’s marriage to Russell Brand was blocked from mention in his rape trial: report”.