Russell Brand’s personal life has been subject to a lot of media attention. After a high-profile romance and marriage with Katy Perry, the comedian settled down with Laura Gallacher, who he has been married to for seven years.
Now, Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse by four women during a seven-year-period. The allegations - which Brand denies - were made on Saturday 16 September in a joint investigation between The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4’s Dispatches.
On Friday, Russell Brand released a video on YouTube and X in which he denied the allegations which were about to be made against him. He said ‘Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies, and as I've written about extensively in my books I was very, very promiscuous,’ continuing ‘Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual.'
The Sunday Times said it gave Brand eight days within which to reply to detailed allegations, and when given further opportunity to respond, Brand published his response video on his YouTube channel.
As the story continues to develop, here's everything we know about Russell Brand's wife, Laura Gallacher.
Who is Laura Gallacher?
Laura Gallacher, who is also referred to by her married name Laura Brand, is Russell Brand’s wife of seven years. She grew up on Wentworth Estate in Surrey, one of the most exclusive estates in the UK where notable residents include Sir Elton John, Vernon Kay and Jamie Redknapp.
How old is Laura Gallacher?
Laura was born on 28 June 1987, making her 36 years old.
How is Laura Gallacher related to Kirsty Gallacher?
Laura Brand's older sister is Kirsty Gallacher, who rose to fame as a presenter on Sky Sports in the late nineties. More recently, she has presented for GB News and Smooth Radio, and she co-presented The Great British Breakfast in June 2021. Kirsty, 47, was married to former England rugby player Paul Sampson from 2010 for five years, before they split in 2015.
Laura's dad is the Scottish golfer Bernard Gallacher OBE, 74, who was formerly a Ryder Cup captain for several European teams.
What does Laura Gallacher do for a living?
Laura used to work in the restaurant industry and was involved with the opening of Electric Diner, a restaurant owned by the Soho House. In 2020, she released her first book, The Joy Journal, a craft book that encourages ‘a sense of joy and mindfulness.’ In March 2022, Russell Brand celebrated the release of his wife’s latest book Slow Down and Be Here Now.
'You might not know that my wife @thejoyjournal writes children books thats because I only talk about myself !!!! But this book she wrote teaching children to be present in the moments and appreciate nature, is fantastic. And god knows if you are a parent you need it!!!,” he captioned an Instagram post. She also sells her own dungarees under The Joy Journal umbrella.
Laura and Russell run The Stay Free Foundation together, which supports people with addiction and mental health issues.
How did Laura Gallacher and Russell Brand meet?
Laura’s sister, Kirsty, first introduced the pair in 2007 when Laura was a 19-year-old art student and Russell was 30. ‘We met when she was 19 and I was 30. She fully loves me for what I am,’ Russell Brand once told Stylist. ‘She’s not interested in the famous person at all.’ They dated for a brief period, but parted ways when Russell – then an up-and-coming comedian - admitted he was not interested in monogamy. Russell went on to marry Katy Perry in 2010, and they were together for 14 months.
In 2015, the pair reconnected in East London on the same day that Laura's ex moved out of her house. She told Grazia ‘I was heartbroken, with mascara running down my face. A friend dragged me out on a walk to the canal in East London, where I'd never been in my life, and as we came on to the footpath Russell was standing there, like he'd organised it.'
The pair started dating again after the chance encounter. In an interview with You, Laura said ‘I remember him saying, "I think I want a quiet life and a family," and it was exactly what I wanted. So, then it was about seeing if we could build a foundation to make that happen.’
When was Laura Gallacher and Russell Brand's wedding?
Russell proposed to Laura in July 2016, five years after he split from Katy Perry. The pair got married in August 2017, in an intimate service at Remenham Church near their home in Henley-On-Thames, followed by an Indian-themed reception. Celebruests at the wedding included Noel Gallagher, Jonathon Ross and David Baddiel.
Shortly after their wedding, Russell revealed on his Radio X podcast that he was 'living a married life now' adding 'I'm domestic.'
How many children do Laura Gallacher and Russell Brand have?
The couple have two children together. Their first daughter, Mabel, was born in 2016, and they welcomed their second child, Peggy, into the world in July 2018. Earlier this year, Russell revealed that Laura was pregnant with their third child.
In a 2017 interview, Russell Brand told The Guardian that he was enjoying a calmer way of life with Laura. ‘I’ve never had domesticity before,’ he said. ‘Most of my life has been an extension of the grandiose idea of what glamour would look like if it had to have a kitchen. And I feel sometimes like a refugee in my house with this woman, this calm, beautiful woman, who in the most beautiful way possible doesn’t care about what I do. She’s not interested, in the most delightful way. "Oh, that sounds nice.”’
However in 2019, Russell sparked controversy over his views on parenting. In an interview with The Sunday Times, he revealed he had never looked after his daughters on his own for 24 hours. ‘Laura does all of it. It turns out that she is extremely well versed in the nuances and complexities of child-rearing. Me, I am dedicated to it, devoted to it, but I am still surprised when it's like “Oh my God this is f***ing really hard and it's so exhausting,”’ he said.
Where do Russell Brand and Laura Gallacher live?
Russell and Laura live in a cottage in Henley-on-Thames in Oxfordshire, which they purchased for £3.3 million in 2016. Previously, Russell lived in Los Angeles and North London. He also owns a home in the Hollywood Hills and a pub in Oxfordshire called The Crown Inn.
Is Laura Gallacher pregnant?
In June 2023, Brand confirmed that Laura was pregnant with their third child while appearing on Stephen Bartlett's podcast The Diary of a CEO.
Stephen told him ‘You fell in love and you've got two children. You've got a third on the way, around the corner. That's a very special love you have found.’ Speaking about being a father, Russell said ‘It taught me there is a lot more important in this world than me. There's a lot more important stuff in this world then what I want, think or reckon. It taught me that love is real. It teaches you everything to become a father. All lessons are there.'
What has Laura Gallacher said about the Russell Brand rape allegations?
Laura hasn’t spoken publicly about the allegations against Russell. Since the claims emerged, she has deleted her Instagram.
Over the weekend, Laura’s sister, Kirsty, shared Russell’s video - where he denies the allegations – on Instagram, with a red love heart emoji. The video has since been deleted from Kirsty's profile.