Oasis legend Noel Gallagher reportedly severed all ties with Russell Brand before the comedian was convicted of rape and sexual assault, a decision encouraged by Gallagher's daughter Anaïs, according to an insider.
Brand, 51, was found guilty at Southwark Crown Court of raping a woman in 2009 and sexually assaulting female TV and radio workers between 2004 and 2009. Hours before the verdict, he told the jury that numerous celebrities had distanced themselves from him, acknowledging that friends and former colleagues would "not touch me with a barge pole" after public allegations were first made in 2023.
A bond spanning two decades
Gallagher and Brand first met in 2004 when the singer attended one of Brand's comedy shows, and they developed a close, private friendship. In 2016, they were pictured together at Upton Park watching West Ham face Manchester City, the clubs they respectively support.
In 2009, Brand told Q Magazine that Gallagher was his go-to confidant, saying: "One thing that endlessly surprises me about him is he's the sweetest, most thoughtful, sensitive person. He gives very good advice if I ever have problems with relationships or friendships or fame."
The actor also praised Gallagher for supporting him after the scandal involving a voicemail left for Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs. Brand recalled that Gallagher said: "It's a f**king load of b**locks, don't take it seriously."
The wedding and the falling out
Gallagher attended Brand's wedding to Katy Perry in 2010, and Brand served as Gallagher's best man when he married Sarah MacDonald in 2011, during Gallagher's dispute with his brother Liam. Gallagher told Details Magazine that Brand's speech was unusual: "He basically said, 'How is this idiot ending up with that woman? If he wasn't a f*****g rock star, she wouldn't have looked twice at him.' It was the first time I've ever seen him speak when he didn't talk about himself."
The friendship unravelled when Brand faced charges relating to allegations from four women about incidents between 1999 and 2005, with two further counts added in 2025. An insider told The Sun that Gallagher's daughter Anaïs, 26, urged her father to cut ties, saying: "Anaïs realised that her dad's close links to Brand and all the stuff they'd done together wasn't a good look. She's very PR savvy. There was a discussion, and Noel agreed cutting ties was best."
Conviction and sentencing
Brand denied all wrongdoing but was remanded in custody. Judge Mr Justice Joel Bennathan said: "My current view is that I therefore have to remand you in custody, not least because the temptation to avoid coming back to court to receive that sentence will be overwhelming."
Brand is due to be sentenced on Monday, November 9, with the judge expected to hear impact statements from victims and legal submissions before passing sentence.
