As Russell Brand is accused of sexual assault and rape by four women, an old interview with his ex-wife, Katy Perry, has resurfaced, with fans of the singer wondering if his mysterious comments might not have a connection with the accusations weighing on the actor.
Their marriage was short-lived. Katy Perry’s union with Russell Brand ended abruptly one day in 2011, after only fourteen months, when the actor announced by SMS to the pop star, who was just about to go on stage, that he had filed for divorce.
Russell Brand, 48, is now accused of rape, sexual assault and psychological abuse by four women who told the press that these crimes took place at the height of his fame, between 2006 and 2013.
The allegations include sexually assaulting a 16-year-old high school student and raping a woman against the wall of his Los Angeles home, shortly after his breakup with Katy Perry.
Russell Brand quickly responded, vehemently denying the Sunday Times and Channel 4’s claims in a video, insisting he only had “consensual relationships”.
His ex-wife Katy Perry, now engaged to his longtime partner Orlando Bloom, has so far not spoken out on the matter, but questions about what she might have known at the time are raised, and an old interview with the star, in which she says she knows the “real truth” about their divorce, is particularly intriguing.
“I keep it locked in my safe”
Speaking to Vogue magazine in 2013, the singer said she initially took “a lot of responsibility” for their split until she discovered the “real truth”.
“He is a very intelligent man and I was in love with him when I married him. Let’s just say that I haven’t heard from him since he sent me a text saying that he was divorcing me on December 31, 2011,” she began by declaring before adding: “I felt very responsible for the ending of this story, but then I discovered the real truth, which I can’t necessarily divulge because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day. I let go and said to myself: it’s not because of me, it’s beyond me. From there I moved on to something else.”
If Katy Perry has never yet publicly revealed the nature of the secret she holds about her former companion, for her fans the link with the accusations of sexual violence is more than probable.
Last month, Russell Brand also returned to their marriage during a show with Bear Grylls. He said: “Some aspects of it were incredible. She’s an incredible person, and it was pretty incredible to live in that kind of eye of the storm of fame for a moment. Aside from my feelings of affection for Katy, I remember it being a bit of a chaotic time and a bit, speaking for myself, a bit disconnected.
Divorcing from Katy Perry in 2011, Russell Brand then married his current wife and mother of his two children, Laura Gallacher, in 2012.
Note that in addition to the accusations of rape and sexual assault made by four women in the press, the former British host and actor saw the addition of a report to the police this Monday, for a sexual assault which allegedly took place in 2003 in the Soho district.
“Investigators are in contact with the woman” concerned, said a Scotland Yard spokesperson, explaining that she would benefit from police support. “We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of sexual assault, regardless of how long ago they occurred, to contact us,” he added.