Russell Brand’s wife, Laura, is determined to remain at his side and is reportedly preparing to return to the UK with their three young children as the comedian faces a lengthy prison term, friends have said.
The former actor and comedian, 51, was convicted of raping a fan and sexually assaulting three other women, leaving him facing years behind bars.
However, Laura has reportedly told friends that she believes her husband is innocent and intends to support him throughout what has been described as a “significant” sentence.
She and the children are expected to move permanently from Florida to Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, where the couple already owns a property.
Laura and Brand first crossed paths in 2006, when she was 19 and he was 31.
The family relocated to the United States in 2024, following explosive allegations made against Brand in a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation. He was formally charged the following April.
Laura, 39, is the daughter of Ryder Cup-winning golfer Bernard Gallacher and the sister of television presenter Kirsty Gallacher. She was the only person to give in-person evidence in Brand’s defence and has reportedly told friends that she remains “resolutely loyal” to him.
An insider told The Sun that Laura had been devastated by the convictions and felt her “whole world has collapsed.”
Russell Brand’s wife Laura is reportedly standing by him and planning a return to the UK with their children as he faces a lengthy prison sentence
Laura and Brand first met when she was 19 and he was 31. The couple are pictured together in 2007
The source said several friends had rallied around Laura, while also admitting they were shocked and felt betrayed by evidence presented during the trial.
They said: “As more information has come to light, particularly the graphic and deeply disturbing allegations made by the women, some of Russell’s closest friends have begun questioning everything he previously told them.
“They feel completely blindsided by him.”
The latest developments follow:
Brand’s conviction for raping a 21-year-old fan after meeting her following a 2009 stand-up performance at the Hammersmith Apollo.
He was also convicted of groping an MTV employee at a party in a Soho bar in 2004, although jurors cleared him of subsequently orally raping her in a toilet.
Jurors found Brand guilty of sexually assaulting a Capital Radio employee after encountering her in a corridor in 2005, as well as sexually assaulting a Channel 4 employee during a forced massage in 2009.
He was acquitted of raping a woman he met at a cabaret performance held on the sidelines of the 1999 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth. He was also found not guilty of attempting to pull an MTV employee into a toilet to indecently assault her in 2001.
Laura has generally kept away from public attention since marrying Brand in 2017, but she has appeared more frequently alongside him since the couple launched their Christian YouTube programme five months ago.
Before the trial, the pair joked on their podcast that they had returned to the UK for a “vacation”, before suggesting that “the Lord has brought us here”.
Brand introduced Laura as his “beloved wife”, while she acknowledged feeling nervous about accompanying him to court.
He joked: “We’re in the UK. Why is that? Just fancied a trip,” before adding more seriously: “The Lord has brought us here.”
Laura responded: “I think it’s a vacation, but yes, the Lord has brought us here.”
Brand continued: “I’m happy to be in the place where Jesus found me,” referring to the UK, where he embraced Christianity and was baptised in the River Thames.
Laura also said the couple planned to continue recording their podcast.
“Our aim is to carry on doing Sunday Service. More than ever, when you face difficult times, you have to reconnect with God. Perhaps Sunday Service will become a journey of anchoring ourselves in faith and trust during challenging moments,” she said.
Recalling their court appearances, she added: “I got nervous before going to court. I’m not used to getting out of the car and seeing lots of photographers.”
Brand then told viewers: “Pray for us if you feel so inclined, and let us know in the chat if there is something we can pray for you about.”
The couple closed their eyes as Brand said: “I thank you for my beautiful wife, this mystery woman in yellow, our glorious children and your son, Jesus Christ.”
For Laura Gallacher, a chance encounter on an east London canal towpath in 2015 marked a turning point in her life.
They married two years later near Henley-on-Thames, with guests including Noel Gallagher and Jonathan Ross.
Brand has often spoken about his gratitude for Laura and credited her with helping him through difficult periods.
She was raised in Wentworth, Surrey, on one of the country’s most exclusive private estates.
Laura, a parenting writer and author of The Joy Journal For Magical Everyday Play, has been described by friends as kind-hearted. Despite her family’s public profile, she is said to prefer a private life away from the spotlight.
Laura attended every day of the trial and was the only person to defend Brand in person
Apart from occasional appearances on Brand’s YouTube channel, she has largely remained out of the public eye and seldom attends red-carpet events.
Laura was studying art and aged 19 when she first met Brand, who shared an agent with her sister.
The pair briefly dated before eventually going their separate ways.
When they reunited 11 years ago, Gallacher was recovering from the end of a long-term relationship.
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She later recalled that a friend encouraged her to leave her flat for a walk along an east London canal, where she unexpectedly encountered Brand.
“I hadn’t seen Russell for years,” she said. “He was so different. We both immediately knew it was going to be serious.
“My ex had literally moved out of our flat that day, and I was heartbroken, with mascara running down my face.
“A friend dragged me out on a walk to a canal in east London, somewhere I had never been before, and as we reached the footpath, Russell was standing there, as if he had organised the whole thing.”
Gallacher later said they shared a desire to build a quiet family life.
Before the move to America, the family lived in Oxfordshire.
Discussing their relationship in the past, she said: “We really do have fun together.
“Sometimes it can feel as though I’m dealing with an adult toddler, but Russell genuinely enjoys doing the things I’m interested in.”
Friends have described Laura as “very warm”, while saying she is fiercely protective of her family’s privacy.
Hi, I’m Alex Matthews, Editor of The Crime Desk.
Russell Brand has been convicted of rape and three sexual assaults, while our reporters Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull attended court throughout the trial. They spoke with Detective Inspector Laura Nelson, who explained why the women who accused Brand in the documentary did not take part in the rape trial.
Subscribe to The Crime Desk to hear the podcast.
Laura has also become a committed Christian, although she largely avoided appearing in her husband’s online broadcasts until this year.
Speaking previously about Brand’s content, she said: “I don’t find it easy, and that’s why I don’t really want to be involved in it.
“I have so many questions about it, and the exposure it inevitably creates can expose you to a kind of dark energy.”
The couple launched their Sunday Service programme five months ago, with Brand thanking Laura for continuing to support him.
Smiling, she replied: “I must be crazy.”
Brand was previously married to pop star Katy Perry. They wed in 2010 and divorced two years later.
He also built a successful Hollywood career, appearing in films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the Despicable Me franchise.
In recent years, investigations by television programmes and newspapers brought renewed scrutiny to allegations concerning his treatment of women.
Police arrested Brand in 2023, by which point he had largely shifted his focus towards podcasting and spirituality.
He embraced Christianity in 2024 and was baptised in the River Thames alongside his friend Bear Grylls.
After becoming a born-again Christian, Brand regularly released podcasts and YouTube videos. He later launched a show with Laura featuring discussions about their faith, Bible readings and prayers.
The couple continued producing Sunday Service even during the days immediately before his conviction.
On October 11, the day before jury selection, Laura read a supporter’s message saying God would be with Brand in prison and that he would “get through it”.
Brand, who said he attended court each day wearing the “full armour of God”, interrupted to acknowledge that he was frightened.
Touching Laura on the shoulder, he said: “I don’t like things where it’s like you might have to go to prison.”
She replied: “Yes, I know, but that is just the nature of what a trial is.”
On the final day of the trial, Laura was seen crying and holding the hand of an aide in the public gallery as the verdicts were announced.
Brand looked towards his wife and said: “Laura, I love you.”
When he was remanded in custody, he responded loudly: “Yes, my Lord.”
He is due to be sentenced on Monday at Southwark Crown Court after being refused bail over the weekend, meaning he could not say goodbye to Laura and their children.
Justice Bennathan said: “I regret the hardship caused to the children, of course,” after hearing that Brand wanted bail so he could explain the convictions to his two daughters and son, aged nine, eight and three.
However, the judge said Brand “has considerable resources” and added: “Whatever the good intentions of the family and the defendant today, I think there are substantial grounds to fear he might, in the end, not feel able to come along and face his sentence.”
Before being led away from the dock, Brand made OK signs towards his defence team and repeatedly said: “I’m good, I’m good, I’m good.”
A rape conviction can result in a life sentence, while standard maximum determinate terms can reach 19 years depending on the circumstances and sentencing guidelines.
Sexual assault convictions carry a maximum sentence of 10 years for each offence.