Trigger Warning: This article includes discussion of alleged sexual assault, with details.
British comedian and actor Russell Brand received a 10-year-and-six-month prison sentence on November 9 for raping a woman, and sexually assaulting three other women. Following the sentencing, Brand reportedly reassured his wife, Laura Gallacher, that everything would be okay.
Russell Brand reassures Laura Gallacher during emotional court exchange
Gallacher, who stood by her husband throughout his trial, attended the sentencing hearing at Southwark Crown Court with two female friends. The three women sat behind the 51-year-old disgraced comedian as the judge delivered the decision.
According to Sky News, Gallacher began shaking a little and took deep breaths. She repeatedly whispered, “It’s OK, it’s OK,” while her friends helped her leave the courtroom. She also told Brand, “I love you, I’ll be OK.” As guards escorted the comedian away, he nodded toward Gallacher and said, “We’ll be OK.”
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Mr Justice Bennathan described the comedian as a “sexual predator.” The judge also noted that Brand had “committed sexual offenses against a number of women.”
One of the victims delivered her statement from behind a beige curtain to protect her identity. UK law grants victims of sexual offenses lifelong anonymity. She told the court, as per Metro, “For many years, as his star was rising, it was impossible to escape seeing him all over the media, being celebrated for his disgusting behavior against women like it was all a joke.”
As previously reported, the allegations concerned incidents spanning 1999 to 2009. The allegations included grabbing a woman’s breasts at a Soho party in 2004, sexually assaulting another woman at radio station Choice FM in 2004 or 2005, raping a woman at his Hampstead home in 2009, and sexually assaulting a woman during a Channel 4 production in 2009.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
