Katy Perry’s chilling comments about ex-husband Russell Brand have resurfaced following his 10 1/2-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault, giving her words new significance more than a decade after their bitter divorce.
Russell Brand, 51, was sentenced at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Nov. 9, just days after a jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault involving four women.
The verdict has renewed interest in Katy Perry’s past accounts of their relationship, including her claims that Brand was “very controlling,” and that she had discovered a disturbing “truth” about the man she once described as “magical.”
Whirlwind romance
The British comedian and Katy Perry fell into a whirlwind romance after meeting on the set of the 2009 comedy Get Him to the Greek. They married in October 2010, but just 14 months later, Brand informed Perry through a text message on Dec. 31, 2011, that he wanted a divorce, People reports.
The devastating moment was captured in Perry’s 2012 documentary Katy Perry: Part of Me, which showed the singer crying backstage before pulling herself together to perform for thousands of fans. Their divorce was finalized in 2012.
‘Found out the real truth’
Although Perry initially blamed herself for the failed marriage, she later revealed that she had discovered something about Brand that changed her perspective entirely.
“He’s a very smart man, and I was in love with him when I married him,” The “I Kissed a Girl” singer told Vogue in a candid 2013 interview.
She continued, “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,” she added, explaining she hasn’t spoken to her ex since that New Year’s Eve text.
Perry, who’s now dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said the discovery helped her realize their marriage’s collapse wasn’t entirely her responsibility, allowing her to move forward with her life.
Years later, however, another pointed comment attracted attention.
‘He should be in jail’
During a July 2026 concert at Blenheim Palace in England, the “Roar” singer entertained the audience with an interactive game that invited fans to act out different scenarios while cameras projected their reactions onto giant screens.
After challenging 10,000 concertgoers to pretend they were sober, she asked them to imagine encountering an ex-partner.
Then came a joke that would take on a different significance following Brand’s conviction.
“I hope my ex isn’t here. He should be in jail!” Perry quipped, according to Mirror US.
Perry did not identify the ex she was referring to, but four months later, Brand was sentenced to more than a decade behind bars.
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