Russell Brand’s Ex Says He Wanted to Marry Someone Famous

Martin dated Brand in 2007, before he began seeing Perry. She said his marriage to the singer “didn’t seem real,” and recalled him saying he wanted to be married to someone famous.

Brand first met Perry in 2008, when she was asked to film a cameo for “Get Him to the Greek.” He proposed while they were on holiday in India. They married in October 2010 in a multi-day Hindu ceremony at the Ranthambore Tiger Sanctuary, attended by friends and family. They separated in December 2011; Brand ended the relationship by text shortly before Perry was due to perform in Brazil. Their divorce was finalized in 2012, according to Entertainment Weekly.

In a 2013 interview with Vogue, Perry said Brand initially wanted an “equal,” but later said he “can’t handle the equalness” and disliked her “being the boss on tour.” She described him as “controlling,” while also saying she believed she had contributed to the marriage’s breakdown. Perry has not commented on Brand’s recent conviction and has not publicly accused him of sexual offenses.

Martin also described incidents from her relationship with Brand. She said that during filming of “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” in Hawaii, he wanted her there to “stop him from ‘trying it on’ with people on set.” She alleged that he told her he had slept with a yoga instructor, dismissed the encounter as meaningless, and called people “objects.” Martin further accused him of sexually assaulting her in a hotel and breaking her phone after she contacted an ex. She also recalled him making her brush her teeth while he watched, saying she should “taste anonymous.”

Brand is serving 10 years and six months in prison for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.