Who is Laura Gallacher? Russell Brand’s wife sticks by comedian as rape trial begins

Russell Brand is facing trial this week on charges of rape, sexual assault, and indecent assault.

The comedian and actor denied the alleged offences, which are said to have occurred between 1999 and 2009.

Appearing at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, October 12, the 51-year-old arrived at court hand-in-hand with his wife Laura, with whom he has been married to for nine years.

Here’s all we know about the wife of the actor as his trial, which is expected to last for 10 weeks, commences.

Russell Brand and his wife Laura leave after jury selection finishes at the start of his trial at Southwark Crown Court

AFP/Getty

Who is Laura Gallacher?

The 38-year-old is an author and illustrator who has been married to Brand since 2017.

Growing up in Surrey on the Wentworth estate, she began a career in restaurant and nightclub management after studying art at University.

Her father is the Scottish retired professional golfer Bernard Gallacher, who captained the European Ryder Cup team three times, in 1991, 1993 and 1995.

Her sister is Kirsty Gallacher, who was a long-term presenter on Sky Sports.

Russell Brand arrives at court on Monday with his wife Laura Gallacher

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How did she meet Russell Brand?

The couple had dated briefly before Brand’s first marriage to Katy Perry, when he was an up-and-coming comedian.

They were introduced in 2017 by Kirsty, who shared an agent with Brand, though it has been reported that Kirsty initially “begged her to end it”.

At the time he said he was not interested in monogamy and the couple, aged 19 and 31, respectively, soon parted ways.

Russell Brand was married to Katy Perry for 14 months

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How did they reconnect?

The pair then crossed paths again eight years later in 2015 after both had suffered heartache.

Laura had just broken up with her boyfriend, and Russell was newly divorced from pop star Katy Perry.

“My ex had literally moved out of our flat that day and I was heartbroken, with mascara running down my face,” Laura told Grazia.

“A friend dragged me out on a walk to the canal in east London, where I’d never been in my life, and as we came on to the footpath Russell was standing there, like he’d organised it.”

She told the Made by Mammas podcast in 2020 that Brand seemed “so different,” and that they immediately knew that this time it would be serious.

The couple share three children together

Instagram/Laura Brand

“You have to rebuild your foundations and trust again, we did it the right way. It was very slow, it was getting to know each other and going out on day trips together.”

“I remember him saying: ‘I think I want a quiet life and a family,’” and it was exactly what I wanted. So, then it was about seeing if we could build a foundation to make that happen,” she told You.

The couple tied the knot in August 2017, marrying in a church ceremony near their home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

The nuptials were attended by friends and family, as well as daughter Mabel, who was then nine months old.

Do the pair share any children?

The couple have three children. Their first was Mabel in 2016, followed by another girl, Peggy, in 2018 and a son in 2023.

Russell Brand and Laura Brand married in 2017

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They do not share updates about their children frequently on social media but around the time Mabel was born Brand said he loved being a father.

Taking part in the show Megyn Kelly Today in 2017, he told host Megyn Kelly: “She's so beautiful and so glorious and so full of joy and love.”

He did, however, add in a little joke that his daughter was a “vicious, vindictive, villainous little character” who kept pulling at his chest hairs.

In 2019, he revealed in an interview that Laura is in charge of looking after the children and that he never changed a nappy.

Russell Brand has pleaded not guilty to all charges

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“Laura does all of it,” he said. “I am dedicated to it, devoted to it, but I am still surprised when it’s like, ‘Oh my God this is f**king really hard and it’s so exhausting’.”

What does Laura do now?

Laura has published a range of books, including The Joy Journal for Magical Everyday Play, aimed at children and The Joy Journal For Grown-ups, aimed at adults. Her and husband would also host wellness events together.

She would regularly post about family life, crafting and wellness on her social media pages, though these have all been deactivated.

The family relocated to Florida in 2024, where they live in a $1million bungalow. Brand has reinvented himself as a right-wing Christian and wellness content creator.

Laura, who is also a Christian, is occasionally seen alongside him in some of his videos, though has explained she prefers to keep out of the public eye.