Russell Brand‘s wife, Laura Gallacher, took the stand to defend her husband at his rape and sexual assault trial in London on Thursday, calling him an “amazing husband.”
Gallacher’s testimony comes after the former actor and comedian said in court on Wednesday that no one with relevant evidence to the alleged incidents being discussed in the trial had agreed to testify on his behalf. Gallacher is appearing in court as a character witness for Brand. “My entire life has been consumed by these allegations,” Brand said. “I have devoted myself to these matters.”
Brand has been charged with with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The case involves six female plaintiffs, all of whom are given automatic lifelong anonymity according to U.K. law, and relates to alleged offenses that occurred between 1999 and 2009.
Speaking in court on Thursday, Gallacher — who has been married to Brand since 2017 and shares three children with him — recalled how the two first met at his “highly explicit” comedy show in 2006, when she was 19 and he was 31, according to Sky News. They began dating and told each other they loved each other, but it was “difficult for him to be monogamous,” she said. They then split in 2007.
Brand went on to marry pop star Katy Perry, but Gallacher said she “had not seen him during the marriage,” which lasted from 2010 to 2012. Brand and Gallacher reconnected in 2014.
Asked by defence lawyer Ian Winter KC about their marriage, Gallacher — who has been by Brand’s side nearly every day of the trial so far — called him “caring and kind,” an “amazing husband” and a “wonderful father.”
“I feel very seen by him,” she said (via Sky News), adding: “We have a very honest, frank and clear relationship and marriage… our relationship has always been [about] honesty.”
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On the stand Wednesday, Brand was questioned by both the defence and prosecution about each alleged offence. He denied the claims, telling the jury: “I’m innocent.” However, he admitted that some of his past behaviour was “wrong in retrospect.”
“As I became more successful and famous I was very comfortable allowing that to facilitate sexual access, which I agree with you was wrong,” he said. “I do recognise I have been a very determined and focused man … With women — of course, which is the subject of my trial — I’ve been persuasive, seductive, begging and flirting, and dedicated a lot of my life to what seems now beyond reckless, philandering and idiocy.”
The jury is expected to start deliberating a verdict as soon as Tuesday.
From Variety US