Let's be honest with ourselves; we knew it was only a matter of time before Katy Perry was dragged into the discourse about her ex-husband Russell Brand.
Last week, Channel 4 dropped a bombshell Dispatches investigation accusing the comedian-turned-YouTuber Russell Brand of committing sexual assault against four separate women. He denies the allegations, describing all his relationships as “consensual”.
As the documentary aired on Saturday night, ‘Russell Brand’ trended on X (formerly Twitter) – as did ‘Katy Perry’. “Why won't Katy Perry tell the truth?” asked Piers Morgan in a now-edited column. Clips from Perry's documentary Part of Me resurfaced on TikTok, showing the pop star convulsing with tears after Brand seemingly asked for a divorce via text. Every day, snippets from previous interviews, in which Perry “hints” at knowing about Brand's alleged behaviour, form the basis of new features, TikTok explainers, and X threads.
While many people have (rightly) condemned such blatant sexism, I confess that I wasn't remotely surprised. When a famous man is publicly disgraced, it's rarely long before the women in his life (partners, ex-partners, mothers, daughters, secretaries – you name it) are dragged into it. Did they know? Will they stand by him? Should they have known better?
At his peak, Brand was considered one of the ultimate ‘bad boys’ by the British media. Everything about him blended seamlessly into the public's perception of how an anti-hero should look and behave, from his appearance (eyeliner, black skinny jeans, back brushed hair) to his so-called ‘womanising’ (earning The Sun's depressing “Shagger of the Year” award for three years running).
Like many teenagers in the Noughties, I was determined to date – and eventually tame – a ‘bad boy’.
Can you blame me? A film obsessive, I'd seen social reject Patrick (Heath Ledger) fall for Kat (Julia Stiles) in 10 Things I Hate About You; I'd cried when popular rebel Landon (Shane West) finally changed his ways for Jamie (Mandy Moore) in A Walk to Remember; and I'd dreamed of spending an all-day detention with Bender (Judd Nelson) – just as Claire (Molly Ringwald) did in The Breakfast Club.
As I watched these characters chase redemption through their relationships with women, I realised that my love was powerful enough to fix a bad man. And I couldn't wait to find one.
People are calling for the age of consent in the UK to be raised.
I spent my formative years bouncing – quite literally – between various ‘bad boys’, AKA grown men who should have known better. All the while, I inhaled gossip magazines, TV shows, and films that reassured me of my noble quest. Russell Brand, then a mainstream comedian and TV presenter, was an exemplary case study of a famous ‘bad boy’ who was yet to be ‘tamed’.
Then, along came Katy.
Katy Perry tamed Russell Brand by making him wait for sex
Katy Perry: 'I tame Russell Brand with my magic sex tips'
Katy Perry: 'I've not tamed Russell'
How Katy tamed Russell
Katy: How I 'tamed' lusty Russ
The above are all real headlines from 2010-11. They're inane gossip fodder, to be sure, but they also expose the bizarre societal belief that women can reform bad boys, often using their sexuality alone.
Surely regurgitating the media I consumed at the time, I remember thinking that Brand had “met his match” in Perry. I naively wanted to feel that pride for myself.
We've come a long way since The Feminine Mystique, but gender stereotypes are still baked into the way we think about heterosexual sex and relationships. Men are wild; women are domesticated. A good woman must shelter her man from the wilderness, offering her mind and body as his sanctuary. Should he accept domestication, the redemption arc is complete. Should he refuse? Then he's simply succumbed to his nature; the good woman has failed.
The allegations span a seven-year period at the height of his fame.
When Brand married for a second time, the narrative reset. Laura Gallacher had “tamed the hellraising womaniser” and “cured his rampant – and highly publicised – sex addiction”. Since the allegations against her husband were made public, there's been much speculation about her potential next moves.
Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP, wrote for the Daily Mail, “How can Russell Brand's wife stand by a man accused of sending a car to pick up a girl of 16 from school?” She then suggests that Gallacher must answer to her daughters for not divorcing their father.
Dorries' opinion – spiteful though it is – highlights how fast the tables turn for women in the public eye. Once praised for ‘taming’ Brand, Gallacher now faces scrutiny for ‘standing by’ him. Who says that women can't win?
GLAMOUR has reached out to Russell Brand for a comment.
For more information about reporting and recovering from rape and sexual abuse, you can contact Rape Crisis on 0808 500 2222.
If you have been sexually assaulted, you can find your nearest Sexual Assault Referral Centre here. You can also find support at your local GP, voluntary organisations such as Rape Crisis, Women's Aid, and Victim Support, and you can report it to the police (if you choose) here.
For more from Glamour UK's Lucy Morgan, follow her on Instagram @lucyalexxandra.
