Katy Perry got a rare bit of reflection from Russell Brand this week. In a new interview, the comedian revisited their short, high-profile marriage. He admitted he did not handle it well. The remarks came during a broader conversation about fame, ego, and celebrity pressure. He also made clear that insecurity shaped many of his choices during that period.
The “Teenage Dream” singer and Brand first connected in 2009. They got engaged months later and married in India in 2010. Their split followed in late 2011. Now, years later, he revisited that chapter with far less bravado and much more self-blame.
Russell Brand sheds insight into Katy Perry marriage on Megyn Kelly show
On “The Megyn Kelly Show,” Russell Brand said, “I didn’t handle that marriage very well.” The episode was uploaded on April 22, 2026. He then said he could “see in retrospect” what went wrong. According to the comedian, the central issue was not Katy Perry’s fame alone. Instead, he said he attached too much meaning to the marriage itself. The “Trolls” star said he felt “inadequate and insecure.” He also believed marrying such a major star would make him more important.
He also gave Perry generous credit while owning his part in the breakup. Brand said the pop star was “really lovely,” “incredibly driven,” and worked “really, really hard.” However, he admitted he “pushed to get married early.” He said that the choice placed “an unnecessary amount of pressure and strain” on her.
He also said she was still very young. At the time, the singer was focused on building the career that made her a global pop name. In his telling, the marriage became tangled up with celebrity itself. Brand also lauded her for chasing her long-term dream, “she successfully did of becoming the world’s most famous pop star”.
That timeline was always fast. Perry and Brand were first linked in 2009. They announced their engagement in January 2010. They got married in October 2010. The separation followed the next year. Meanwhile, the former has since moved on and is now dating former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The pair were first spotted together in July 2025. Later, they went public and were seen together at Coachella 2026 during a widely photographed festival date night.
