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British actor and comedian Russell Brand opened up about his experiences with paparazzi during his marriage to Katy Perry in the recent episode of his Stay Free with Russell Brand podcast. On May 7, 2025, Brand shared a clip from the episode on X, recalling how the paparazzi's presence was emotionally exhausting for him:
"And there's all these people around us... and paparazzi are so annoying. I’ll tell you now, you wanna smack them in the mouth. It's so hard not to," Russell Brand remarked.
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In the aforementioned podcast episode, Brand talked about his time with Katy Perry, stating that his protective instincts would often surface when he was with her.
"When I was married to Katy Perry, I used to think about that, because, like, when you’re married to a woman, and you feel like, I’ve got to protect this woman," Brand explained.
He further admitted that it was hard staying calm in those moments when the paparazzi swarmed the couple. The frustration in him would build up to the point where it became difficult for him to resist lashing out.
"Everyone likes it, don't they? When a paparazzi gets smacked," he added.
Brand further stated that society quietly enjoyed seeing celebrities lose their temper with paparazzi, even if it was seen as inappropriate behavior. He pointed out how, when a celebrity punched a paparazzi, people rarely defended the paparazzi.
Instead, there was a sense of entertainment among the public in watching a public figure retaliate.
“Have you ever sort of seen some, a celebrity or whoever, punch a paparazzi in the mouth and go, ‘Hey, you shouldn’t do that. That paparazzi is simply doing their job, parasitically trying to capture your image and render it on a screen somewhere’ Like you like it—don’t you?” Brand remarked.
Russell Brand talks about his marriage to Katy Perry, shares it ended for "normal human reasons"
English comedian and actor Russell Brand often used his podcast platform to reflect on his past, including his marriage to American singer and pop star Katy Perry.
According to the US Weekly article dated April 7, 2025, Russell Brand got engaged to singer Katy Perry in January 2010 and tied the knot a few months later in October. However, the couple got separated in 2012.
In the April 3, 2025, episode of the Stay Free with Russell Brand, the 49-year-old revisited his two-year relationship with the “Dark Horse” singer. As reported in an E! News article dated April 4, 2025, Brand expressed during the podcast that he held no bitterness toward Perry.
"What can I tell you is, when I was married to Katy Perry, she's like a—not entirely normal, because she's an extraordinary, massive star—but she's not weird or off-key...And wasn't involved in anything nefarious, as far as I could tell", he remarked
Brand further shut down speculation of drama or wrongdoing in their marriage, and added that his marriage with her didn't work because of "normal human reasons."
"The reasons that a marriage didn't work are the normal human reasons marriages don't work, and I have nothing but respect for her," he said.
While he acknowledged the political differences between them, he downplayed their significance:
"I obviously disagree with her political views...but I probably disagree with some of my wife's political views, my beloved wife, Laura Brand’s political views. So, you know, you always disagree with people, don’t ya?" he explained.
The April 4, 2025, E! News article also mentioned another interview by Brand during his appearance on the Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge in 2023, where he addressed what it felt like to be married to someone like Katy Perry.
In this interview, Brand admired Perry’s stardom while also acknowledging the surreal experience of being immersed in her high-profile world.
"Some aspects of it were amazing—she’s an amazing person… It was kind of incredible to live for a moment in that eye of a cyclone-type aspect of fame," he said.
However, he also reflected on the emotional challenges of that period, which felt "a little bit chaotic" to him and made him a "little disconnected" from Katy Perry.
Currently, Russell Brand is busy with his Rumble podcast, Stay Free with Russell Brand, where he shares his insights on revolutionary politics and spiritual reawakening. Katy Perry, at present, is on her ongoing The Lifetimes Tour that commenced on April 23, 2025.
