Russell Brand's wife tells court actor's promiscuity left her 'heartbroken'

Russell Brand's wife has told a London court the British entertainer's promiscuity left her "heartbroken" and caused their relationship to end years before they married.

The actor and comedian is on trial in London's Southwark Crown Court charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted indecent assault.

The 51-year-old is accused of committing the crimes against six women in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2009.

On Wednesday, Mr Brand told the jury himself no friends, acquaintances or colleagues were prepared to give evidence in his defence and had not touched him "with a bargepole" since the allegations became public.

But on Thursday, Laura Brand took the stand, telling the jury her husband of nearly 10 years was a "very caring" sexual partner.

Ms Brand was 19 when she met the then-31-year-old Mr Brand after his show "Shame" at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2006.

Ms Brand is the sister of well-known British model and television presenter Kirsty Gallacher, which the court heard Mr Brand knew "within moments" of the pair meeting.

The jury heard the two exchanged phone numbers, met up the next day and started dating shortly after.

"I felt entirely cared for and looked after by Russell," she told the jury, referring to their sex life together.

Ms Brand told the jury she was left "heartbroken" when the relationship ended a few months later, in February 2007.

"I was aware that he liked women and I was aware towards the latter part of the year that he was engaging with other women," she told the court.

"I was not interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people.

The pair started dating again in 2015, she told the court, before marrying in 2017.

"Russell, my husband, is caring, he's kind, he's a wonderful father," she told the jury.

"I feel very seen by him; I love him very much.

"Our relationship has always been about honesty."

Under cross examination, Ms Brand said she did not know her now-husband during some of the period of his alleged offending.

The court also heard that Ms Brand told a podcast in 2020 that when the pair rekindled their relationship years later, Mr Brand was "so different to how I knew him before".

Mr Brand nodded along to much of his wife's evidence in court and at times closed his eyes, playing with the red scarf he was wearing.

The trial continues.