Russell Brand and his wife Laura Gallacher prayed and wept in a series of online clips broadcast during his rape trial, in which they discussed wearing the "armour of god for the day of evil."
The couple recorded an episode of the 'Sunday Service' podcast from their conservatory at their home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, while Brand faced trial for rape and a string of sex attacks. In a post shared on October 24, Brand discussed his court appearances while reciting a passage from Ephesians.
Prayer and Tears in Podcast Clips
Clutching a holy bible and referring to his court attendance, Brand said: "Put on the full armour of god so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground."
He went on: "In a situation like I'm in, it's impossible not to turn to god, truth and justice. They're the only things that can save me." In the clip, Laura can be heard agreeing with Brand as she nodded her head.
In another post shared four days prior, Laura discussed being spiritually "carried" throughout the trial. She described the media as "evil" and told how her faith helped her to cope with the "pressure" of the justice process. The videos were taken from an excerpt of an episode of the podcast which first aired on October 18.
Faith and Support During Proceedings
In the video, the couple could be seen praying together in their dressing gowns before Brand shed tears as Laura talked about the grace of Mary. Throughout, she appeared to be making reference to her own dignity throughout her husband's trial. She said: "She was able to be graceful, tender and kind throughout all of it." She then consoled her husband as he hung his head and appeared to weep.
The posts were accompanied by AI-generated videos depicting scenes from the bible. Brand publicly turned to Christianity at the end of 2023 and was baptised in April 2024, shortly after he was accused of multiple sex attacks. Following his baptism, Brand rebranded his media presence on platforms and began to frequently broadcast with a Bible in hand.
Brand and Laura first met in August 2006 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. At the time of their first meeting, Laura was 19-years-old and Brand was 31. They got married in August 2017.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Laura has explicitly and visibly stood by Brand throughout his trial at Southwark Crown Court. She attended the London court alongside her husband on every single day of the proceedings. They were frequently photographed entering the building hand-in-hand. During long testimonies, she sat in the public gallery, sometimes taking notes, while offering visible gestures of reassurance, such as smiling at him while he was in the dock.
Brand was caged for 10-and-a-half years for raping a woman and sexually assaulting three others during his showbiz career. He was sentenced on Monday, November 9. As he was led from the courtroom, Brand showed no emotion but turned to Laura and said "we'll be OK" as he was taken downstairs by the dock officers. The pair shared a brief conversation before the shamed comedian was taken away.
