Russell Brand reflects on his ‘chaotic’ 14-month marriage to Katy Perry

Former couple announced their divorce in 2011 after 14 months of marriage

Russell Brand has opened up about why his relationship with ex-wife Katy Perry was “chaotic”.

The actor, 48, reflected on the start of his career during an episode ofRunning Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge, which aired on 6 August. He noted that throughout his marriage to Perry - who he was married to for 14 months - he was “most in the public eye”. However, Brand still praised his ex and the bond they had.

“Some aspects of [that time] were amazing, she’s like an amazing person,” he told TV host Bear Grylls. “It was kind of incredible to live for a moment in that eye of the cyclone type aspect of fame.”

Brand then confessed that even though his feelings for the “Firework” singer were strong, he felt like the relationship came at a “chaotic” time in his life.

“Aside from my sort of feelings of affection for Katy, it’s a time that I remember has been a little bit chaotic and a bit for me, to speak for myself, a little disconnected,” he explained.

Brand and Perry first got engaged in 2009, mere months after they started dating. They got married in October 2010, before announcing their breakup 14 months later. The Forgetting Sarah Marshall star filed for divorce in December 2011, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split.

“Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage,” he said in a statement to People, at the time. “I’ll always adore her and I know we’ll remain friends.

Two years later, Perry spoke out about her ex, with the singer describing how she allegedly found out that they were getting a divorce. “He’s a very smart man, and I was in love with him when I married him,” she said, in her 2013 cover story interview with Vogue. “Let’s just say I haven’t heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011.

She also reflected on why their marriage didn’t work out, as she claimed that while Brand wanted a partner he was his “equal” when they first met, he ultimately couldn’t “handle the equalness”.

“He didn’t like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour. So that was really hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting,” the “Dark Horse” singer said. “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. I let go and I was like: This isn’t because of me; this is beyond me. So I have moved on from that.”

During an interview with Esquire in 2013, Brand also opened up about the relationship, and said that his and his ex’s lives in the public eye is one of the reasons why they couldn’t make things work. He also shared his candid thoughts about monogamy and how important it was to him.

“Some of it’s the fame, but I think getting married is – you’ve got a whole other person that you’ve got to make as important as you,” he said during the interview, shared via Marie Claire. ‘When I’m in a relationship I’m diligently monogamous and stick to the principles agreed on within that relationship. You’ve got to, I think.”

However, he acknowledged that he didn’t have any regrets about tying the knot, with the comedian explaining that he “tried” marriage and “loved it”.

“I really think [Katy’s] a lovely beautiful person,” he said. “It’s just hard, isn’t it? She’s got a lot of options, I’ve got a lot of options, so you’ve got to really, really want it.”

The former couple have gone on to have their separate relationships, as Perry has been engaged to longtime partner Orlando Bloom since 2019. The pair share a two-year-old daughter, Daisy Dove.

Brand married his wife, Laura Gallacher in 2017, and they went on to have two daughters, Mabel, six, and Peggy, four. During an appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast in June, Brand confirmed that he and his wife were expecting their third baby.