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Russell Brand had no character witnesses at his trial except his wife, Laura, but two public figures have spoken out in Brand’s favor since he was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
The trial heard the star treated women as “disposable objects” and “entertainment” to satisfy his voracious sexual appetite during a series of attacks between 2004 and 2009, when he achieved “staggering fame”.
Brand, who vehemently denied the “very serious criminal allegations”, risks “a fairly long custodial sentence”, which will be announced on Monday November 8.
Since the conviction, many stars have celebrated the verdict, but GB News host Neil Oliver decided to recall his friendship with the former comedian and star of films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall And Take it to Greek.
Oliver re-shared a photo in which he said Brand was his friend, originally posted in April 2025, and added the caption: “Still is. »
The presenter is known for presenting historical documentaries for the BBC and was co-host of the first series of Side in 2005. He replaced Nicholas Crane as the show’s main presenter for the next four series.
Oliver joined GB News in 2021 and faced complaints after protesting about the safety of vaccines during the pandemic. His views led to his resignation from several positions, including a fellowship at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Another person who has come to Brand’s defense is controversial American commentator Megyn Kelly, who said on an episode of The Megyn Kelly Show on the day of the verdict: “I had a hard time believing that he was capable of rape, as I do right now. I don’t believe these accusations. I’ll be honest. I don’t believe it.”
She called him “a totally lovely guy”, adding: “I believe he loves his wife Laura deeply, his children and, as I said, I think he has found God and asked forgiveness for a lifestyle that he now completely rejects.”
Another supporter of Brand is his wife, Laura Gallacher, who told the judge, “Russell, my husband, is caring. He’s kind. He’s a wonderful father to our children. He’s an incredibly caring husband.”
The couple first dated in 2006 and reconnected in 2014, before getting married in 2017. They have three children together.
When she testified in court, Laura admitted she was “very aware” of Brand’s promiscuity early in their initial relationship, saying: “I wasn’t interested in being in a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people. I was invested. We had both told each other we loved each other, but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous.”
Brand went on to marry singer Katy Perry in 2010, before announcing their split 14 months later and he reconnected with Laura – the sister of presenter Kirsty Gallacher – in 2015.
She told the court that Brand was “so different” from the person she had known in the 2000s, and that they “both knew immediately that this was going to be serious.”
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