Russell Brand, 51, was handed a prison sentence of more than 10 years on November 9 after a jury convicted him of raping a fan in 2009 and sexually assaulting three other women over a five-year period at the height of his career. The sentencing came as a resurfaced wedding anniversary video for his wife, Laura Gallacher, drew a wave of unsettled reactions from fans.
Resurfaced anniversary video draws backlash
Back in 2018, on the first anniversary of his wedding to Laura, Brand took to X, then known as Twitter, to share a video described as a sinister gift. In the clip, he sang: "Old as ancient skies, I've had these wandering eyes, but you took me by surprise, when you let me inside of you."
He continued: "Inside of you, inside of you, I long to be; is it wrong to be inside of you? Inside of you, inside of you. Happy anniversary, Laura. Thanks, Jason, for that song. Bye."
The track, Inside of You, was performed by Brand's character Aldous Snow in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was written by Jason Segel, the Mirror reported. The overtly sexually suggestive song was written as a parody of over-the-top, pseudo-profound rock ballads.
Fans react with 'creepy' and 'terrifying' comments
The post, uploaded on August 26, 2018, quickly attracted comments from unsettled fans. One wrote: "It's all about sex with him, very creepy. She is certainly feeding him well when he isn't inside her; fat and scruffy, no other woman will want him now."
Another added: "You are such an a–." A third simply replied: "Creepy," while a fourth said: "Just a wee bit terrifying no matter which way you look at it." Someone else penned: "Clearly missing something here. Creepy!"
Laura's role and their long history
Russell and Laura have had an on-off relationship spanning nearly two decades. Following Brand's sentencing to 10 and a half years in prison, Laura has remained one of his most prominent public defenders.
They first met in 2007, when Laura was a 19-year-old art student and Brand was a 30-year-old comedian on the rise. The pair were introduced by Laura's sister, TV sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher, with the Gallacher family also known through their father, former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher.
Brand and Laura dated briefly before splitting, then spent years apart as Brand's profile surged. He became an international name and went on to marry US pop star Katy Perry in 2010, with the marriage ending 14 months later.
