Russell Brand opens up about his split from Katy Perry, calling their breakup “normal and human.

Thirteen years after one of pop culture’s most high-profile divorces, Russell Brand has finally broken his silence on why his marriage to Katy Perry came to an end.

Speaking candidly on his podcast Stay Free with Russell Brand, the 49-year-old comedian dismissed speculation of scandal or drama. Instead, he offered a refreshingly grounded explanation for their split, describing it as a result of “normal, human reasons.”

“When I was married to Katy Perry,” he began, “she’s not entirely normal because she’s an extraordinary massive star, but she’s not weird or off-key, and wasn’t involved in anything nefarious.”

The Get Him to the Greek star continued, “The reasons our marriage didn’t work are the normal, human reasons marriages don’t work — and I have nothing but respect for her.”

Brand, who is now married to author and blogger Laura Brand, reflected on how political disagreements might have existed between him and Katy, but those were not the crux of their separation.

“I obviously disagree with her political views,” he admitted, “but I probably would disagree with some of my beloved wife Laura’s political views too. You always disagree with people, don’t you?”

His comments mark the first time in over a decade that Brand has directly addressed the end of his whirlwind marriage to the pop superstar. The two met in 2009, became engaged after just a few months, and were married in a lavish Hindu ceremony in Rajasthan, India in 2010. But just 14 months later, Brand filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalised in July 2012.

Since then, both stars have gone on to carve very different paths. Perry has continued her pop reign, become a judge on American Idol, and welcomed a daughter with actor Orlando Bloom. Brand, meanwhile, has pivoted from mainstream entertainment towards podcasting, wellness, and political commentary — and has also faced serious legal controversies in recent years.

Despite the distance between them, Brand’s recent words showed no bitterness. If anything, he offered a tone of fondness and reflection, underlining that the pressures of fame and different life paths simply proved too difficult to reconcile.

His admission that it all ended for “normal, human reasons” may come as a surprise to those who speculated that their breakup was steeped in drama — especially given Katy’s past comments suggesting she was blindsided by the divorce.

In a 2013 interview with Vogue, Perry famously claimed that Brand told her he was filing for divorce via text message. Brand has never publicly addressed that claim — and didn’t mention it in this recent podcast episode either.

What’s clear, though, is that time has given him the space to speak on the split without rancour. As he enters a new chapter — both personally and legally — Brand appears to be reckoning with his past more openly.

For fans of the former couple, Brand’s remarks may offer a dose of closure, ending years of silence with a simple truth: not every celebrity breakup has to be fuelled by scandal. Sometimes, love just runs its course.