Russell Brand is facing more than a decade behind bars after being convicted of multiple s**ual offences, with the comedian’s sentencing now bringing renewed attention to allegations surrounding his former wife, Katy Perry.
Brand, 51, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of one count of r*** and three counts of s**ual assault involving four women. The offences took place between 2004 and 2009.
The comedian denied all the charges brought against him. He was also acquitted of two further r*** allegations and one count of attempted indecent assault.
His conviction has prompted renewed scrutiny of his past relationships, including his short-lived marriage to Perry, who has previously suggested there was more to their separation than she was willing to discuss publicly.
However, the singer is now facing a separate controversy of her own, after Australian actress Ruby Rose accused her of s**ual assault over an alleged incident in Melbourne in 2010.
Perry’s representatives have strongly denied the claims, describing them as ‘dangerous, reckless lies.’
And authorities have now confirmed that the investigation into the historical allegation remains ongoing.
Russell Brand’s conviction brings renewed attention to his past
Brand and Perry were once one of the most recognisable couples in entertainment.
The pair married in 2010 after a whirlwind romance, but their relationship ended just over a year later when Brand reportedly told the singer he wanted a divorce through a text message on New Year’s Eve 2011.
Perry later spoke about the breakdown of their marriage, describing Brand as ‘very controlling’ during a 2013 interview with Vogue.
She also hinted that she had discovered something about her former husband that changed how she viewed their relationship.
“I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending, but then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day,” she said.
The singer continued: “I let go and I was like: This isn’t because of me; this is beyond me. So I have moved on from that.”
Perry never publicly explained exactly what she meant by ‘the real truth.’
Brand has since been convicted of four offences involving four women, although the allegations against him were separate from his marriage to Perry.
He denied all seven charges brought against him, and was acquitted of three of the allegations.
Katy Perry’s former marriage to Russell Brand
Perry and Brand first met in 2009, when the singer appeared in a cameo for his comedy film Get Him To The Greek.
The pair reportedly shared a kiss during the scene, with Perry later recalling how excited she had been afterwards.
They crossed paths again at the MTV Video Music Awards in September that year, where Perry playfully threw a water bottle at Brand to get his attention.
Their relationship developed quickly, and Brand later spoke about the impact the singer had made on him.
In footage featured in the documentary Katy Perry: Getting Intimate, he recalled: “I don’t think she realised the impact that would have on me.
“It was like reaching back into my childhood, taking the injured nincompoop of a boy I was and sort of putting a laurel on his brow. It was marvellous. Plus she looked amazing.”
Brand proposed to Perry on New Year’s Eve during a trip to India, and the pair married during a lavish six-day celebration in the country in 2010.
They even got matching tattoos featuring the Sanskrit phrase “GO WITH THE FLOW”.
At the time, Brand suggested that being with Perry had changed his lifestyle, describing how his comedy had become more focused on domestic life.
But their marriage came to an abrupt end, with Perry later suggesting that the relationship had left her with a lasting emotional impact.
In another interview, she compared the experience to having a scar, while her comments to Vogue suggested there were aspects of their relationship she had not felt able to share.
A further detail about the singer’s feelings towards Brand resurfaced in 2026, when journalist Piers Morgan recalled a conversation he claimed to have had with her at a Vanity Fair party in Washington in 2013.
According to Morgan, Perry told him she was not ready to discuss the truth about her marriage.
“Because you’ll get the truth out of me, and I’m just not ready to tell you the truth! In fact, I’m not sure I’m ready to admit the truth to myself,” she allegedly said.
Morgan also claimed that Perry had given Brand the nickname ‘Rasputin,’ comparing him to the Russian mystic known for his influence over the royal family and his scandalous reputation.
Perry has not publicly confirmed Morgan’s account of the conversation or the reported nickname.
Ruby Rose makes allegations against Katy Perry
The separate allegations involving Perry emerged in April 2026, when Australian actress Ruby Rose publicly accused the singer of s**ual assault.
Rose alleged that the incident took place in 2010 at Spice Market, a nightclub in Melbourne, where the pair were spending time in a VIP area.
In a series of social media posts, the actress described an alleged encounter in which she claimed Perry approached her while she was resting on a friend’s lap.
Rose wrote: “She saw me ‘resting’ on my best friend’s lap to avoid her and bent down, pulled her underwear to the side and rubbed her disgusting v****a on my face until my eyes snapped open and I projectile vomited on her.”
She later spoke about why it had taken her so long to make the allegation public.
“I’m now 40. It has taken almost two decades to say this publicly,” she wrote, adding that she was grateful to have reached a point where she felt able to speak about the alleged incident.
Rose also suggested that professional and personal circumstances had contributed to her silence.
She claimed Perry had previously supported her career, including by writing letters that helped her secure a US visa, and said this had made speaking about the alleged incident more difficult.
Perry’s representatives issued a strong denial, describing Rose’s allegations as “categorically false” and “dangerous, reckless lies”.
A former manager of Spice Market also confirmed that the two women had visited the venue together, although he said he did not witness the alleged assault.
He recalled that the evening had involved a large crowd and said both women had been drinking, but did not describe seeing the incident Rose later alleged.
Rose has also faced questions about a 2011 column in which she described the night out and wrote that “nothing horrific happened”.
She subsequently addressed the apparent discrepancy, saying she had downplayed the experience at the time because she did not know how to process it and did not feel able to speak openly.
The allegations have not been proven, and Perry has denied them.
Police confirm investigation remains ongoing
Following Rose’s public allegations, Victoria Police confirmed that a formal complaint had been made and that detectives from the Melbourne S**ual Offences and Child Abuse Investigation Team were investigating a historical allegation.
The force initially said the alleged incident had taken place at a licensed premises in Melbourne’s central business district.
In a statement, a police spokesperson said: “Detectives are investigating a historical s**ual assault that occurred in Melbourne.”
They added that it would be inappropriate to comment further while the investigation remained ongoing.
Now, a further update has confirmed that the inquiry is still active, around six months after it was formally launched.
According to reporting by VT, detectives are continuing to examine the historical complaint and determine whether criminal charges will be filed in Victoria.
Police have not publicly confirmed that any charges have been brought against Perry.
The singer’s representatives have maintained their denial of the allegations, while Rose has indicated that she is no longer able to discuss the matter publicly because of the ongoing police process.
The investigation remains separate from Brand’s criminal case, and his conviction does not establish the truth of the allegations made against Perry.
For now, authorities have confirmed that detectives are still looking into Rose’s complaint, with no further details released about the investigation.
