Russell Brand Opens Up About Katy Perry Divorce: "It Didn't Work for Normal Human Reasons"

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Russell Brand is reflecting on his brief but highly publicized marriage to Katy Perry — and this time, he’s leaving the jokes aside.

Speaking on his podcast Stay Free with Russell Brand on April 3, the British comedian offered a rare and surprisingly respectful take on the relationship, which lasted from 2010 to 2012.

“What can I tell you is, when I was married to Katy Perry, she's like a­—not entirely normal, because she's an extraordinary, massive star­—but she's not weird or off key,” Brand said. “And wasn't involved in anything nefarious, as far as I could tell.”

He went on to explain that the reason the marriage didn’t work was fairly ordinary. “The reasons that a marriage didn't work are the normal human reasons marriages don't work,” he said, “and I have nothing but respect for her.”

While acknowledging that he and Perry disagreed on political matters, Brand noted that such differences are common in all relationships — even in his current marriage to Laura Brand. “You always disagree with people, don’t ya?” he added.

This isn’t the first time Brand has reflected on his time with Perry. In a 2023 episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge, he described the experience as both “amazing” and “chaotic,” saying he felt “a little disconnected” at the time.

Perry has also commented on the relationship in the past. Speaking to 60 Minutes Australia in 2020, she described that chapter of her life as something of a whirlwind. “I was having great success at 23, 24, and 25, and then I met someone that was interesting and stimulating,” she said. “It was just like a tornado, it was everything happening at once.”

Both artists have since moved on: Perry is now engaged to actor Orlando Bloom, with whom she shares a daughter, while Brand married author Laura Gallacher in 2017.

But more than a decade later, it seems both parties are able to look back on that chapter with a mix of clarity, respect — and maybe even a touch of fondness.