Katy Perry may be engaged to hunky Orlando Bloom now, but nearly 10 years ago, she was saying “I do” to a very different Brit. Katy Perry and comedian, Russell Brand, were definitely an unlikely duo, but their whirlwind relationship captivated the media...for better or worse.
Katy Perry and Russell Brand’s relationship is perfectly summed up with Katy’s own song, “Hot N Cold.” They were super hot and heavy until they weren’t. Even though their relationship only lasted a short time, a lot of confusing and complicated stuff went down that we still can’t completely figure out.
No doubt we are all very happy Katy Perry has found love again, but we can’t help but reflect back on one of her more publicized relationships and breakups.
15 Katy Perry And Russell Brand Met At The 2008 VMAs
Katy Perry and Russell Brand first met in 2008, just as both of their careers were really starting to take off. Their paths crossed at the MTV VMAs, which were being hosted by Russell. Brand and his Get Him to the Greek director approached Katy and Pink about shooting some celebrity cameos for the comedy film, according to Heavy.
Their romantic relationship didn’t begin until the next year - that was when they reconnected at the 2009 VMAs.
14 Katy Perry Was Almost In Russell Brand’s Film ‘Get Him To The Greek’
Katy Perry accepted the Get Him to the Greek cameo offer she received from Russell Brand and director, Nick Stoller. However, the director decided to cut her part from the movie before it was released in theaters.
“If you saw me and Russell making out, although it’d be cute to, ’cause that was the first moment we met, ‘There’s Russell Brand in the movie,’ not Aldous Snow, and they want it to be Aldous Snow, [so it’s] completely understandable,” Katy explained to MTV.
13 Russell Proposed To Katy Just Three Months Into Their Relationship
Russell Brand popped the big question to Katy Perry just three months after they began their exotic relationship. On New Year’s Eve 2009, Russell proposed to Katy while they were on vacation in India.
According to E! News, the exciting event took place in a tent at the foot of a mountain in Jaipur, India and was blessed by a “love guru.”
12 Katy Perry And Russell Brand Got Married In A Hindu Ceremony
On October 23, 2010, Katy and Russell were officially married in a Hindu ceremony. The couple kept most of the details from their wedding a secret, but it has since been revealed that Katy wore a beautiful grey Elie Saab haute couture wedding dress. There were only 80 guests in attendance, according to Popsugar.
11 Their Wedding Was Extravagant And Strange
Katy Perry and Russell Brand’s wedding ceremony and celebrations were not what someone would typically expect from a Hollywood couple.
According to Popsugar, Russell’s big entrance on their special day involved an elephant ride, along with traditions from Hindu, South Asian and Christian faiths. Guests enjoyed several performances, shopping sprees, and safari trips. Overall, their unique wedding was described as “very private and spiritual.”
10 Russell Brand Broke Up With Katy Perry By Text Message
Katy and Russell’s wedding bliss didn’t last for long, though, because just a year later, Russell Brand filed for divorce, citing “irreconcilable differences.”
A year after their divorce was finalized, Katy Perry opened up to Vogue, according to Page Six. She talked about Russell and the divorce.
She stated, “He’s a very smart man, a magical man and I was in love with him when I married him. Let’s just say I haven’t heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011.”
9 Russell And Katy’s Conflicting Schedules Caused Their Divorce
Shortly after news of their split broke, both Katy Perry and Russell Brand blamed their hectic schedule for the divorce. In an interview on The Howard Stern Show, according to Who, Russell explained, “We did work it out, she’s happy, I’m happy. I was really, really in love with her, but it was difficult to see each other, it mostly didn't work for practical reasons.”
Katy shared those same sentiments in her 2012 documentary, Katy Perry: Part of Me, confirming that scheduling conflicts damaged their relationship.
8 But Russell Brand Likely Had Other Reasons For The Divorce
After the shock of the couple’s divorce wore off, Russell Brand started sharing more insights into possible reasons that he filed for divorce from the pop star.
In his documentary BRAND: A Second Coming, Russell described his life with Katy in a scathing way: “I'm associated with the very thing I detest: vapid, vacuous, plastic, constructed, mindless celebrity. That's the very sea we're swimming in, 'Oh, who's he?' ... 'He's married to Katy Perry.’”
A visit to Africa changed Russell Brand’s spiritual view on life and how he viewed his marriage with Katy Perry.
7 After The Divorce, Katy Perry Fell Into A Deep Depression
Katy Perry’s divorce took a huge toll on her mental health. In an interview with Vogue India, Katy revealed just how depressed she became after her breakup with Russell Brand.
“I became depressed and I did not want to get out of bed. In the past, I had been able to overcome it, but this time something happened that made me fall down too many flights of stairs. I had to really go on a mental health journey.”
6 The Pop Star Wrote A Song About Her Divorce From Russell Brand
As part of her healing, Katy Perry wrote a song documenting her struggle to overcome the pain and heartache that came with her divorce. Her song, “By the Grace of God,” has lyrics that pointed toward some really dark thoughts, according to Who.
“That song is evident of how tough it really was at a certain point. I asked myself, 'Do I want to endure? Should I continue living,’” Katy confessed, according to Who.
