Russell Brand's wife Laura stays ‘resolutely loyal’ after his rape conviction as she 'considers return to UK'

Russell Brand’s wife, Laura Gallacher, remains “resolutely loyal” to her husband following his conviction for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, according to claims made by friends.

Gallacher has reportedly told friends that she continues to believe her husband is innocent and is considering moving back to the UK with their children, according to The Sun.

The newspaper reports that she is expected to return to the couple’s home in Henley-on-Thames rather than remain at their property in Florida, where the family reportedly relocated in 2024.

A friend told the newspaper: “Her husband is a rapist and that will follow her everywhere she goes. But Laura is resolutely loyal to Russell and has been for a long time.

Russell Brand’s wife Laura Gallacher outside Southwark Crown Court, London, after he was found guilty

PA Wire

“She believed what he told her and has stood by him this entire time. As his wife, her loyalty is with Russell. And he undoubtedly will need her support more than ever now.

“The people closest to her believe she is going to stay in the UK and wait for him. But right now, this is all incredibly fresh. It’s a living nightmare at this moment.”

Gallacher, 39, is said to be devastated by the conviction. On Thursday, she was seen hunched over in the public gallery as Mr Justice Bennathan told Brand he faced a lengthy jail term.

Brand spent his first night in prison on Friday, believed to be either Wandsworth or Belmarsh, after his barrister, Ian Winter KC, failed in his application for bail over the weekend.

Winter had asked the court to release Brand as an “act of humanity” so he could say goodbye to his children.

Russell Brand was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others

PA Wire

Brand denied all seven criminal charges against him: three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.

He was cleared of two counts of rape and one charge of attempted indecent assault.

Brand told his wife of nine years “I love you” after entering the dock to hear the verdicts. He displayed no emotion as the jury delivered its decisions.

Gallacher, whose sister is television presenter Kirsty Gallacher, had to be supported by a security guard as she left Court Three following the verdicts on Thursday.

Gallacher married Brand in 2017, and the couple have three children together.

Laura Gallacher (left) with her elder sister, broadcaster Kirsty Gallacher

Dave Benett

The court heard the couple first met in 2007 before separating and later rekindling their relationship in 2015. They married two years later and have three children together.

Asked about the early stages of their relationship, Mrs Brand told jurors she was relatively inexperienced and had only had one previous partner before meeting the entertainer.

"I felt entirely cared for and looked after by Russell," she said, adding that if she did not want to do something, Brand "respected my view".

Describing her husband's character, she told the jury: "Russell, my husband, is caring, he is kind, he is a wonderful father to our children.

"He is an amazingly attentive husband. The way he treats me is to really know me. I feel very seen by him in every way. I love him very much."

However, Mrs Brand also told jurors the pair split in 2007 because she was uncomfortable with his relationships with other women.

"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," she said.

"I wasn't interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people."

She said they stayed friends even as Brand had a brief marriage to singer Katy Perry, and they got back together as a couple in 2015 and married in 2017.

Asked if she was “aware of his promiscuity” during their time apart, she said: “I was very aware of it. I could read about it regularly in the papers, so I was aware of it and he also told me.”