Russell Brand says he pushed to marry Katy Perry early because he felt “inadequate and insecure,” and now says he can see what went wrong in the relationship that made them tabloid royalty in 2010 and 2011.
Brand made the remarks Wednesday while speaking about his new book, How to Become a Christian in 7 Days, saying he “didn’t handle that marriage very well” and that he was “taking total responsibility for all the mistakes” he made. He said he was in love with Perry and with the attention that came with being attached to a global pop star, adding that he may have been intimidated by her level of fame. “I wanted to grab her like, ‘There, got it,’” he said, describing the marriage as trying to hold onto celebrity itself.
Perry and Brand met in 2010 when she filmed a brief cameo for his movie Get Him to the Greek, though the scene never made the final cut. They confirmed they were dating before announcing their engagement in early 2010, then married in Hawaii in October 2010 when Perry was 25 years old. The marriage lasted 14 months. They announced their split in December 2011.
Brand’s comments land against a story that never really disappeared from public view. Perry later told Vogue that she had not heard from him “since he texted me saying he was divorcing me,” and Brand said Wednesday he has not reached out or spoken to her since telling her he wanted a divorce. He said he has kept some contact with her parents, ministers Keith and Mary Hudson, and described Perry as a “very beautiful person” who is “incredibly driven and worked really, really hard” for her success.
He also said Perry was “really, really, really, really lovely,” and said he supported her nearly decade-long relationship with Orlando Bloom. Then, with a joke aimed at Perry’s current relationship with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Brand said, “Orlando Bloom… I love that guy. Brilliant. Trudeau, though, potentially Fidel Castro’s spawn. No, there we draw the line.” The new book ties those reflections to his life with Laura Gallacher Brand, but Brand’s own account makes the central point plain: the marriage did not fall apart because he lacked feeling, but because he tried to turn insecurity into permanence.
