Russell Brand ‘brainwashed wife Laura into believing he was innocent as family say they’re deeply concerned about her’
RUSSELL Brand’s family are said to be deeply concerned for his wife and fear the disgraced comedian “totally brainwashed” her into believing he is innocent.
Besotted 39-year-old Laura Gallacher is said to remain fiercely loyal to her sicko husband – despite him being convicted of rape and three sexual assaults.
Relatives worry that Laura has been so swayed by rapist Brand that she refuses to accept the evidence against him, the Mail reports.
It comes after The Sun revealed that Laura – who has stood by her hubby throughout the trial – is in two minds about attending the sentencing hearing tomorrow.
Sources close to her family claim she has been left convinced that the 51-year-old is innocent, and is even determined to support an appeal against his convictions.
One family friend told the Mail: “Russell gets what Russell wants. He has that charm and swagger, and Laura is besotted with him.
“She goes along with what he wants, it’s like he has totally brainwashed her.”
They added that his absence could give Laura the opportunity to step away from his influence and reassess their relationship.
Brand faces a “lengthy” prison sentence after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a trial at Southwark Crown Court.
The offences involved four women and took place between 2005 and 2009.
He was also acquitted of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.
But the split verdict is understood to have strengthened Laura’s belief that her husband was wrongly accused.
A friend told the Mail she believes the jury’s decision to clear him of three charges proves the other allegations were also untrue.
Laura had attended court throughout the trial, sitting in the public gallery as six women gave evidence about their experiences.
She was regularly seen arriving alongside Brand, holding his hand as they entered and left the building.
The mother-of-three also took notes as the women described the allegations against her husband.
Those close to her reportedly noticed what they believed was growing anger as she listened to the evidence, which they claim she dismissed as lies.
In videos shared on the couple’s online show, Sunday Service With The Brands, Laura also spoke about the emotional strain of attending court.
During one recording, she described putting on her “armour” before entering the building.
She said she would begin to feel nervous as soon as she approached the street where the court was situated.
Brand, who has reinvented himself as a born-again Christian, regularly features alongside Laura in the online broadcasts, which include Bible readings, prayers and discussions about family life.
The couple have been married for nine years and share three children- two girls aged nine and seven, and a three-year-old son.
Brand’s verdicts in full
Count 1
Brand was charged with raping a woman in her hotel room after meeting her at cabaret show he was performing in on the fringes of the Labour Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999.
He was found not guilty of rape.
Count 2
He was accused of trying to drag an MTV worker into a toilet at her London offices in 2001
He was found not guilty of attempted indecent assault.
Count 3
Brand was accused of grabbing the breasts of an MTV worker he met at a friend’s party at Nordic Bar in London’s Soho in 2004 within seconds of meeting her.
He was found guilty of sexual assault.
Count 4
He was accused of dragging the same MTV worker he groped at the bar into the toilets and orally raping her.
He was found not guilty of rape.
Count 5
Brand was accused of kissing and groping a Choice FM radio worker in around 2004 or 2005 in front of his entourage.
He was found guilty of sexual assault.
Count 6
He was charged with raping a fan at his London home after they met when he invited her backstage after one of his gigs at the Hammersmith Apollo in February 2009.
He was found guilty of rape.
Count 7
He was charged with sexually assaulting a Channel 4 staffer by shoving his face in her groin when his entourage allegedly asked her to give him a massage in 2009.
He was found guilty of sexual assault.
Laura, the daughter of former European Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher, is said to have found the guilty verdict particularly difficult to accept.
Brand was remanded into custody at HMP Wandsworth after the verdict, leaving his wife to leave court without him.
Sources claim she was shocked and extremely upset by his imprisonment and believes he has been badly treated.
Laura is understood to have taken comfort from the three charges on which he was acquitted.
The family are now said to be rallying around Laura and the children as they face an uncertain future.
Her older sister, former Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher, is among those supporting her.
Bernard and his wife Lesley are also said to have been left heartbroken by the scandal.
The family are particularly concerned about what comes next, with cops continuing to investigate further allegations against Brand.
The comedian faces separate rape allegations involving two more women, including a girl who was 16 at the time.
The Metropolitan Police investigation could lead to further charges and another trial.
Despite his convictions, Laura is reportedly determined to stand by her husband and support him through any future legal proceedings.
The couple had spent much of their time living in Florida before Brand’s trial, but Laura is now expected to remain in the UK while he serves his sentence.
Relatives are said to hope she will spend more time closer to them in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.
One family friend told the Mail: “You can’t help thinking life would have been way less painful for Laura if they had never met.”