Katy Perry has said Russell Brand ended their 14-month marriage with a text message, revealing she had not heard from him since he announced he was divorcing her. Her comments have resurfaced after Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault.
Marriage ended by text
The 51-year-old comedian was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, November 9, after being found guilty of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. He was also ordered to remain on the sex offenders' register for life.
Perry, now 42, opened up about the breakdown of their relationship in a 2013 interview with Vogue, more than a year after their divorce was finalised. The couple married in October 2010, but their relationship ended abruptly just 14 months later when Brand filed for divorce on New Year's Eve in 2011.
Recalling how she received the news, Perry said: "He's a very smart man, and I was in love with him when I married him." She then revealed: "Let's just say I haven't heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011."
Reflecting on the split
The pop star also reflected on what went wrong, admitting she initially felt responsible for the marriage ending because of her demanding touring schedule. However, she suggested there were deeper issues within their relationship, claiming Brand had struggled with her growing independence and success.
"At first when I met him, he wanted an equal, and I think a lot of times strong men do want an equal, but then they get that equal and they're like, I can't handle the equalness," she said. Perry also recalled being hurt after discovering Brand had made jokes about her during one of his comedy shows, despite her having attended to surprise him.
She hinted that she eventually discovered what she described as the "real truth" behind their split, but declined to reveal further details. "I let go and I was like: This isn't because of me; this is beyond me. So I have moved on from that," she added.
Brand's conviction and Perry's life since
Brand was convicted following a four-week trial, having denied the charges and maintained that his sexual encounters were consensual. The jury acquitted him of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. The offences took place between 2004 and 2009, during the height of his entertainment career.
Perry, meanwhile, has long since moved on from her marriage. In the same interview, she spoke about finding happiness alone and her belief that she would eventually find love again. "I believe that I will be loved again, in the right way," she said. "I know I'm worth it."
Following her split from Brand, Perry went on to date singer John Mayer, with the pair enjoying an on-off relationship between 2012 and 2015. She later began dating actor Orlando Bloom in 2016, with the couple getting engaged on Valentine's Day in 2019. They welcomed their daughter, Daisy Dove, in August 2020, before calling off their engagement in June 2025. Perry has subsequently been romantically linked to former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with reports of their relationship emerging in July 2025.
