Russell Brand's wife tells jury entertainer is 'kind and caring'

Russell Brand's wife told jurors on Thursday that the comedian and broadcaster was a "kind" and "caring" husband who respected her wishes throughout their relationship.Giving evidence for the defence at Southwark Crown Court, Brand’s wife formerly known as Laura Gallacher, said she had felt "entirely cared for and looked after" by Brand when they first began dating.The court heard the couple first met in 2007 before separating and later rekindling their relationship in 2015. They married two years later and have three children together.Asked about the early stages of their relationship, Mrs Brand told jurors she was relatively inexperienced and had only had one previous partner before meeting the entertainer.Read More"I felt entirely cared for and looked after by Russell," she said.She added that if she did not want to do something, Brand "respected my view".Describing her husband's character, she told the jury: "Russell, my husband, is caring, he is kind, he is a wonderful father to our children."He is an amazingly attentive husband.Russell Brand released My Booky Wook in 2007Getty"The way he treats me is to really know me. I feel very seen by him in every way. I love him very much."However, Ms Brand also told jurors the pair briefly split in 2007 because she was uncomfortable with his relationships with other women."I was invested, we both had told each other we loved each other but it was clear it was difficult for him to be monogamous," she said."I wasn't interested in having a relationship with him if he was sleeping with other people."Her appearance marked the latest stage of the defence case in Brand's trial, which has heard weeks of evidence relating to allegations made by a number of women.Brand has denied the allegations against him.She said they stayed friends as Brand had a brief marriage to singer Katy Perry, and they got back together as a couple in 2015 and married in 2017.Asked if she was “aware of his promiscuity” during their time apart, she said: “I was very aware of it. I could read about it regularly in the papers, so I was aware of it and he also told me.”Turning to their relationship now, she said: “We have a very honest, frank, and clear relationship and marriage.“It is one of the most important parts of our marriage, and our relationship has always been honest.”Russell Brand and his wife Laura Gallacher leaving court on Wednesday (Yui Mok/PA)PA WireDuring his wife’s evidence, Brand could be seen smiling and laughing at times, and he appeared to be mouthing words towards his wife as she talked about his 2024 baptism.Mrs Brand’s evidence was also briefly interrupted when defence barrister Ian Winter KC attempted to ask for her view on the “truth of the allegations”.Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones KC interjected, saying “No, no, no”, the judge Mr Justice Bennathan pointed out she is not an expert witness and, after a short break, Mr Winter continued by asking for Mrs Brand’s “view of his character”.Earlier, statements from two of Brand’s ex-girlfriends were read to the court, as they gave accounts of his character and also said he had cheated on both of them.Classically trained ballet dancer Elia Alvarez Diaz dated Brand for three years, between 1996 and 1999, when they were studying together at drama school, including a period of 15 months when they lived together.She said their relationship ended because he cheated on her repeatedly, but she also put forward words to support his character.She said Brand acquired a “bad boy reputation” and was a “complex character”, she said “at times he was gentle, kind, warm and generous” and added that he was “exciting to be with” and life was “never dull”.Ms Diaz said Brand had “considerable energy”, but she also said he sometimes “needed to be by himself quietly, in his own mind.“He was highly persuasive and very skilled with words. When I said ‘no’, however, he accepted it.”She said Brand “loved to be the centre of attention” and “never had any difficulties in attracting attention and interest from women”.Russell Brand and wife Laura Brand arrive at court ahead of his trial, where he faces rape and sexual assault charges at Southwark Crown Court on October 28GettyShe added their relationship “failed because I could no longer trust him to be faithful, or contribute to rent, bills, and other household expenses”.A second ex-girlfriend, Amanda Alguero Alejos, told the court she met Brand in October 1999 when he was her teacher at the Callan School of English on Oxford Street, central London.She said she was a few months older than Brand, she told him he was attractive during a social occasion, and they struck up a romance.“He was very loving, thoughtful and patient with me”, she said, telling the court Brand would write her poetry.“We laughed a lot together, it was a beautiful relationship”, she said.“I always felt truly cherished and loved.”She admitted being “captivated” by Brand, and insisted that they had never had sex without consent.“He was undoubtedly promiscuous, never in front of me and never when I was around.“That was not what mattered to me at the time.”Russell Brand gave evidence to his rape trial on Wednesday (Elizabeth Cook/PA)PA WireMs Alejos told the court she later accompanied Brand to events when he was famous, and saw women “circling like birds in front of us”.At the end of Mrs Brand’s evidence, jurors were sent away by the judge until Friday morning.Brand is on trial accused of offences involving four women between 1999 and 2009.In evidence on Wednesday, he insisted consent is “non-negotiable” and told jurors it is “more important than sex itself”.He denies three charges of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of attempted indecent assault.Jurors were sent home after Ms Brand finished giving evidence and are due to return on Friday to receive legal directions from the judge.Mr Justice Bennathan told the court he expects the jury to begin deliberating on its verdicts next week.