Russell Brand’s wife Laura has spoken out for the first time after his conviction, revealing a message he wrote behind bars.
The convicted rapist was sentenced Monday to 10 years and six months, after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault committed between 2004 and 2009.
Brand, 51, will serve approximately seven years of his sentence, with the remainder on license and will be placed on the sex offenders register.
The disgraced actor and comedian was supported throughout his trial by his wife, whom he married in 2017 and with whom he has three children. He allegedly transferred ownership of his £5 million country house to her on September 15, a month before his trial was due to begin.
Reappearing after her imprisonment, Laura shared a video on Brand’s YouTube channel, which has 6.6 million subscribers.
Titled “The Good Work Continues,” the hour-long video is part of Brand’s “Sunday Service” series, which she has vowed to reprise.
Brand found God in late 2023 following the publication of allegations of sexual assault and predatory behavior.
Towards the end of the vlog, Laura read a message from Brand, which confirmed its location as HMP Littlehey, near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, specifically aimed at men convicted of sexual offences.
“Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, God bless you for your support,” it began. “As you know, I am not guilty of the crimes for which I was imprisoned, so something strange is happening.
“The good news is that Christ is with us when we choose Him, and that is what I do.
“I am incarcerated at HMP Littlehey. “Little” as in small, and “hey” as in “Hey, I’m in the biggest prison for sex offenders in Europe.”
“The good news is that I have already seen that the staff here is strong; they are kind and devoted, and as for my fellow prisoners, I now know that I am not in a position to judge anyone.
“I don’t know what other men here are not guilty, and the ones who are are people for whom Christ died, like you and me,” he concluded. “Let us all love and pray for and forgive one another, as God has forgiven us.”
In tears, Laura ended with: “Please support my precious wife and family. I feel your prayers.
Earlier in the video, Laura, 39, told her followers: “I’m here to continue the good work that was established here in this Sunday service community, something very, very close to mine and Russell’s.
“It may look different, but the ambitions are pretty much the same, and we trust God, and we trust His plans, and we trust everything He’s doing right now.”
Laura continued: “Even though it’s painful and obviously it will take me some time to get used to it, even just sitting here and not having my partner and my person with me, I want to continue, and I’m grateful for the support, and I’m grateful to you. Thank you for your messages.
Amid reports that the Bring It On Greek star has previously “received abuse” from fellow inmates, she shared, “Although Russell is not here now, in this moment, the Holy Spirit is moving and the Holy Spirit cannot be held back.”
“I’m talking to Russell. He is well and praying, unsurprisingly. He prays and we decide that I continue, and he asked me if I wanted to read the rest of the passage in Philippians, which I will continue to do now from his Bible.
Laura proceeded to read before adding footage from an “unused episode” featuring Brand that was “put on hold” during his trial.
“We decided that we would love to share it with you today, and I’m going to read some supportive comments and some lovely feedback that I got to close out the show. Thanks for being with us,” she told viewers at the start of the new episode.
She then returned to read the comments on her phone, sent by the sex offender’s fans.
Brand was initially sent to HM Prison Wandsworth, a category B men’s prison in south-west London, where he was in solitary confinement.
Prison sources said his status and high-profile crimes made him a “target”, and that other inmates “would like nothing more than to make a name for themselves by attacking him”.
Brand was said to have been “horrified” to see his cell, where he asked if he could have privacy when using the toilet, and was advised to cut his long hair so he would be less “conspicuous”.
He was due to be transported to HMP Wakefield – where convicted pedophile and Lostprophets leader Ian Watkins was stabbed to death in May – in the coming days, but was then believed to have been secretly sent to the category C prison, HMP Littlehey.
The new “cushy” facility houses male sex offenders and offers activities such as yoga, choir and origami classes, as well as an artificial turf pitch, two gymnasiums, sports halls and an area for indoor bowls.
Since then, eight other women have come forward to accuse him of sexual abuse and predatory behavior.
Brand, who insisted throughout his trial that his sexual relations were “consensual”, was also accused of raping a 16-year-old girl, whom he allegedly referred to as “the child” in front of those around him.
Mia Latter, now 37, waived her right to anonymity to publicly accuse him of assaulting her when he was 30, which had a lasting impact on her life.
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