Russell Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher, has told a court that the comedian is an "amazing husband" and an "attentive father" to their three children, as she appeared as a character witness in his trial.
Brand faces three counts of rape, three of sexual assault and one of attempted sexual assault. Gallacher has supported him in person throughout his court appearances.
'Very honest, frank and clear' marriage
Gallacher told the court: "I feel very seen by him." She also described Brand as "caring and kind," adding, "We have a very honest, frank and clear relationship and marriage."
She defended her husband's intimate conduct, telling jurors their encounters always happened strictly at her pace and that he always respected her boundaries. However, she admitted that at the start of their relationship, he found it "difficult for him to be monogamous", and they split due to him being unfaithful.
History of the relationship
The couple first met in 2006 when Gallacher was 19 and Brand was 31. They separated in 2007 before rekindling their romance in 2015 and marrying in 2017.
After rekindling their romance, Gallacher told the Made by Mammas podcast in 2020 that she "knew it would be different this time". She also told You: "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."
She added: "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."
Courtroom interruption
During her time in court, Gallacher had to be taken out of the room after an "inadmissible question" from Brand's barrister, Ian Winter KC. He asked her about her view on the truth of the allegations, which led Judge Joel Bennathan to interject, saying, "No, no, no," as prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC called the question "unacceptable".
