Russell Brand’s wife has told a court that they previously split up over his promiscuity but that he was a “wonderful father” and an “amazingly attentive husband”.
asserted
he → tell → promiscuity
Giving evidence at her husband’s rape trial, Laura Brand, 39, said they fell in love after meeting in 2006 but that the comedian found monogamy difficult.
She said: “I wasn’t interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people.”
Brand, 51, is accused of seven offences, including rape and sexual assault, against six women in allegations spanning 10 years from 1999.
asserted
Brand → give → 1999
He denies all the charges.
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He → deny → charges
Wearing a navy pinstripe suit and brooch on her left lapel, Laura entered the witness box at Southwark crown court on Wednesday.
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Laura → wear → Wednesday
Laura told the court she met Brand at the Edinburgh festival in 2006 after his show Shame, which was “very, very, very funny”, “extremely entertaining” and sexually explicit.
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which → tell → show
She said they met in the foyer of the Assembly Rooms, where Brand complimented her friend, who had a boyfriend.
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who → say → boyfriend
Laura recalled: “And he said to me: ‘But tell me you don’t have a boyfriend,’ and I said: ‘No, I don’t.’”
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I → recall → boyfriend
Laura recalled that Brand contacted her the next and they had oral sex.
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they → recall → sex
Brand’s barrister, Ian Winter KC, asked: “Did he want to have penetrative sex?” to which Laura replied: “I didn’t want to, but I don’t remember it even being a topic.
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it → ask → which
I didn’t intend to and I don’t remember him asking.”
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him → intend → ?
They began dating in September 2006 and Brand “absolutely” respected her wishes sexually, Laura said.
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Laura → begin → wishes
Describing his treatment of her, she said: “Very caring, totally at my pace.
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she → describe → pace
I was not experienced, I had only had one partner before Russell and I felt entirely cared for, and looked after by Russell.”
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Russell → experience → Russell
But the court heard their relationship broke down over his cheating.
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relationship → hear → cheating
Winter asked: “Did you become aware shortly thereafter that he was promiscuous and engaging in sexually activity with others?”
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he → ask → others
Laura replied: “I was aware when I met him that he liked women and I was aware towards the latter part of that year that he was engaging with other women, yes.”
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he → reply → women
Laura said the couple split up in February 2007 because of his infidelity.
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couple → say → infidelity
“I was invested, we both had told each other we loved each other but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous.
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him → tell → other
We talked about it.
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We → talk → it
I did find that difficult,” she said.
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she → find → ?
Laura said she was “heartbroken” after the breakup but that the pair resumed contact as friends in summer 2007.
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pair → say → summer
She said she became friendly again with Brand when his marriage to the US pop star Katy Perry ended, and that they rekindled their romance in 2015, married two years later, and they now have three children together.
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they → say → children
When asked if she was aware of Brand’s promiscuity during their time apart, Laura said: “I was very aware of it and I would read about regularly in the papers and he also told me, we talked about it.”
asserted
we → ask → it
But both the judge, Mr Justice Bennathan, and the prosecutor, Riel Karmy-Jones KC, objected when Winter asked Laura what her view was “as to the truth” of the criminal allegations her husband faces.
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husband → object → allegations
“She’s not here as an expert witness,” the judge said.
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judge → ’ → witness
Winter then asked Laura to describe Brand, to which Laura replied: “Russell, my husband, is caring, he’s kind, he’s a wonderful father to our children, he’s an amazingly attentive husband.
“He’s got an eye for detail I’ve never known before.
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I → ask → detail
The way he treats me is to really know me, I feel very seen by him, in a way I’ve never experienced before.
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I → treat → way
I love him very much.”
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I → love → him
She continued: “We have a very frank, honest and clear relationship and marriage.
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We → continue → relationship
In cross-examination Karmy-Jones noted that Laura had been present throughout most of the trial and had taken notes.
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Laura → note → notes
She also challenged Laura about how much contact she had had with Brand after their break up in 2007.
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she → challenge → 2007
Laura said she had spoken to Brand after his marriage to Perry ended.
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marriage → say → Perry
“He called me after his marriage and gifted me meditation for me and my boyfriend at the time,” she said.
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she → call → time
Brand nodded and smiled as Laura insisted that while they had not had a sexual relationship in the years before they got back together in 2015, they had spent time together by going to the theatre and watching box sets.
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they → nod → sets
The prosecutor said that in 2017, shortly after the couple had their first child, Brand was a guest on the US talkshow, The Wendy Williams Show.
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Brand → say → talkshow
She said the comedian had said of his relationship with Laura: “When we went out with each other we loved each other very much but I was in a phase where I thought the world was an amusement park made out of orgasms.”
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world → say → orgasms
Laura replied: “I’m not denying he said that.
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he → reply → that
I probably didn’t watch it.”
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I → watch → it
Earlier, statements from two of Brand’s ex-girlfriends were read to the court, as they gave good accounts of his character.
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they → read → character
They also said he had cheated on them and they had supported him financially.
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they → say → him
…and 4 more, not listed.
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