President Donald Trump once criticised Grammy-nominated singer Katy Perry for marrying Russell Brand. Perry married the British comedian and actor in October 2010, with the couple tying the knot in a traditional Hindu ceremony near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India. However, their marriage ended in divorce in July 2012.
In 2014, Trump took to X (formerly Twitter) to berate Perry over her marriage to Brand. He wrote: “.@katyperry Katy, what the hell were you thinking when you married loser Russell Brand? There is a guy who has got nothing going, a waste!”
Brand, 51, faced seven criminal charges involving six women at Southwark Crown Court, including various counts of rape and sexual assault. Allegations that the disgraced star had raped and sexually assaulted women between 1999 and 2009 first became public in September 2023.
Prosecutors initially sought to mention Perry when opening the case against Brand. However, following submissions from Brand’s legal team, she was removed from lead prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC’s opening speech.
Following a four-week trial in the UK, Brand was found guilty on Thursday of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. Before the verdict, he took the stand, maintaining his innocence and pleading not guilty to the charges. In court, the father of three said the allegations against him had had a “devastating” impact on his life.
The former TV presenter was found guilty of sexually assaulting an MTV employee at a Soho bar in 2004, sexually assaulting a Capital Radio employee after encountering her in a corridor in 2005, and sexually assaulting a Channel 4 employee during a forced massage in 2009. He was also convicted of raping a young fan whom he met after one of his Hammersmith Apollo performances in 2009.
He was found not guilty of orally raping the MTV worker, and found not guilty of trying to drag another MTV worker into a toilet to indecently assault her in 2001. He was also found not guilty of raping a woman he met at a cabaret show on the fringes of the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth.
Mr Justice Bennathan said: “You’ve been convicted of a number of offences including rape. The consequence of that is inevitably a significant custodial term. My current view is that I therefore have to remand you into custody.”
The Metropolitan Police has now revealed the disgraced star is under further investigation for other rape allegations made by two women.
According to Sky News: “The Met’s investigation into allegations of rape made by two women remains ongoing. The suspect has previously been interviewed under caution in connection with the allegations.
“Files have been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to both complainants. Detectives remain in close contact with prosecutors as enquiries continue and further investigative work is carried out.”
