Russell Brand transferred ownership of his £6million country home to his wife, Laura Gallacher, just weeks before facing trial on rape and sexual assault charges, the Daily Mail can reveal.
The move is understood to have been made to shield the property from potential seizure or sale should women who allege they were also victims pursue compensation claims.
Brand, 51, is widely expected to face civil lawsuits in Britain and the United States following his conviction and 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence for rape and other sexual offences.
The timing of the transfer has led to speculation that he made Laura, 39, the legal owner of his most valuable asset after she stood by him during the proceedings and gave evidence for the defence.
The six-bedroom riverside property has landscaped gardens, a swimming pool and a private cinema, added after the couple reportedly spent £1million renovating the home.
Until the recent change, Brand had been the sole registered owner of the house, located in the countryside near Henley-on-Thames.
Newly published documents show that the property was transferred to Laura on September 15. She is the mother of Brand’s three children.
Brand purchased the home for £3.35million a decade ago. Although the transfer documents value it at £3.8million, property specialists believe its market value is closer to £6million.
Russell Brand transferred his £6million country house to his wife Laura on September 15, only a month before his rape and sexual assault trial. He previously sold The Crown (pictured), a former pub in Pishill, near Henley-on-Thames, for £975,000, reportedly making a £125,000 profit
Brand, 51, pictured with his wife Laura Gallacher, 39, in 2018, was sentenced to more than ten years in prison after being convicted of rape and three sexual assaults at Southwark Crown Court
Brand, whose fortune has been estimated at £20million, used a Chancery Lane law firm for the transaction. The firm confirmed that he was the transferor and Laura the recipient of the property.
The house served as the family home until late 2024, when the couple moved to the United States shortly before Brand was charged with rape. They were reportedly renting a four-bedroom waterfront carriage house in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
The Oxfordshire property was held through Brand’s company, Pablo Diablo’s Legitimate Business Firm, or PDLBF, which he has since begun the process of winding up.
PDLBF reported reserves exceeding £12million in 2024. However, accounts published in May this year, five months before the trial began, showed that its reserves had dropped to £3.3million.
The fall has been interpreted as another possible sign that Brand was rearranging his finances amid the prospect of civil claims.
Since his conviction last week, six additional women have approached police in Britain with allegations concerning Brand. At least one further accuser is also understood to have come forward in the US.
Brand, who has previously acknowledged living a promiscuous lifestyle, is pictured with two burlesque dancers at the 2007 Brit Awards. Neither woman was involved in the criminal case
He is also facing a civil claim in the United States linked to the 2010 film Arthur, with the complainant seeking unspecified damages.
Hi, I’m Alex Matthews, Editor of The Crime Desk.
Russell Brand has been convicted of rape and three sexual assaults, with reporters Caroline Cheetham and Liz Hull attending every day of the trial. They spoke to Detective Inspector Laura Nelson, who explained why the women featured in the documentary that first exposed the allegations were not part of the rape trial.
The company handled income from Brand’s work across platforms including Rumble, as well as earnings from live shows and merchandise. His YouTube channel was permanently demonetised after allegations of sexual abuse emerged in 2023, preventing him from generating revenue there.
Brand’s former career in acting and broadcasting, followed by his reinvention as a born-again Christian and online spiritual commentator, provided a steady stream of income. He once claimed he no longer needed to earn more money.
His legal costs for the criminal trial have already reached around £1million. He could also face further rape charges within weeks, while civil proceedings are pending in the High Court over an alleged sexual assault and separate legal action is under way in the US.
His finances could come under additional pressure after publisher Pan Macmillan announced that two of his self-help books would be removed from sale.
Last October, Brand sold The Crown, a former pub in Pishill near Henley-on-Thames, for £975,000. The sale reportedly netted him a £125,000 profit.
He had sought to convert the pub into a private recording studio and office, but South Oxfordshire District Council rejected the plans following strong objections from residents and the Campaign for Real Ale.
Matthew Claughton, managing director of Olliers Solicitors, told the Daily Mail that the consequences of Brand’s conviction would continue long after his release from prison.
Brand, 51, is expected to face civil compensation claims in both Britain and the United States after his conviction
The property was transferred to Laura, the mother of Brand’s three children
Brand was convicted of rape and sexual assault last week and sentenced on Monday. He was taken from Southwark Crown Court in a prison van
‘His victims could pursue damages claims arising from the alleged sexual assaults, including compensation for physical or psychological injuries and any resulting financial losses,’ he said.
‘In my experience, such cases are uncommon and far less routine than criminal proceedings. Historic allegations can also create difficult questions surrounding limitation periods and evidence.’
‘However, a criminal conviction clearly alters the position. Civil cases rely on the lower balance-of-probabilities test rather than the criminal standard of proof.’
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