The world has been rocked by the allegations made against comic Russell Brand.
An investigation by TheSunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 – which is understood to have been worked on for four years – was made public last week, via a news report and Dispatches documentary titled Russell Brand: In Plain Sight. In it, the former MTV presenter, 48, was accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of stardom.
In a message addressed to his 6.6m YouTube subscribers before the investigation was unveiled, Russell vehemently denied the claims and insisted that his relationships have always been consensual.
And someone who will be affected more than most by the distressing allegations is Russell’s ex-wife, Katy Perry. The American singer – who was married to the comedian for 14 months, until December 2011 – has kept a dignified silence, but a source tells heat that the dredging up of her past has been difficult, to say the least.
“It’s no secret that their marriage was toxic and damaging for her,” we’re told.
“But that chapter of her life seems like a thousand years ago at this point, and she doesn’t even talk about it or want Russell’s name brought up. She put him in the rear-view mirror a long time ago and will privately admit that divorcing him is probably the second-best decision she’s ever made – next to settling down and starting a family with Orlando Bloom, who treats her like a princess.”
Katy – who now has a happy family dynamic with fiancé Orlando, their three-year-old daughter Daisy, and his son Flynn, 12 – first met Russell in summer 2009, when she was filming a cameo for his film Get Him To The Greek. They started dating after crossing paths again in September at the MTV Video Music Awards and were engaged two months later. Fast-forward to October 2010, they were husband and wife, but the marriage came to a heartbreaking and shocking end for Katy when Russell sent her a text message saying he was divorcing her on 31 December 2011.
While Russell seemingly blamed the demise of their marriage on Katy’s unwillingness to start a family, the Firework songstress offered a different narrative to Vogue, six months after they split up. “He didn’t like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour, so that was hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting,” revealed Katy, who referred to her ex as “Rasputin” in another interview.
She added, “I felt a lot of responsibility for it ending, but then I found out the real truth, which I can’t necessarily disclose because I keep it locked in my safe for a rainy day. I let go and I was like, ‘This isn’t because of me, this is beyond me’. So, I have moved on from that.”
As the allegations continue to attract media attraction, fans have been rushing to Katy’s defence. While one called her “selfish” for not elaborating on “the real truth”, others have been fighting her corner: “Zero responsibility of these disclosures lie with Katy Perry, and she owes none of us her story,” one wrote, while a second echoed, “Russell and Katy no longer have any ties, she is not responsible for him.”
And heat’s source says Katy has been put in an inconceivable situation about speaking out and is torn over what to do.
“People saying she needs to come forward and share the truth about him is putting her in a horrible position,” our insider says.
“She’s keeping a brave face on things, but it really sucks that he’s coming back to haunt her. No one will blame her if she wants to avoid dealing with it and stay in her bubble with Orlando and the kids.
“But she does tend to be very outspoken, so she may decide to share her truth. Anything is possible with her.”