Katy Perry appeared to have a message for her ex-husband Russell Brand months before he was found guilty of rape and sexual assault: she wasn’t exactly hoping to see him in the crowd.
During the opening night of her Out of Office UK tour in July, the singer made the blunt remark while playing an audience game at Blenheim Palace Festival in Oxfordshire.
Asked to get into character as someone who had just spotted an ex, Perry, 41, joked: “I hope my ex isn’t here, he should be in jail.”
Read More: Katy Perry set to expose dark marriage to Russell Brand in documentary
The comment has resurfaced following Brand’s conviction on one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
The former couple married in 2010 and separated in 2012.
Perry’s name had also surfaced during pre-trial legal arguments. Prosecutors initially considered mentioning the marriage but agreed to remove references to it from their opening.
Brand’s defence lawyer Ian Winter KC also referred to a complainant’s claim that Perry may have been present during an alleged incident.
The singer was not asked to provide a witness statement, according to the CPS.
Brand mentioned their 14-month marriage while giving evidence, describing that period as a time of “staggering fame”.
Perry has previously spoken about the relationship in candid terms. In a 2020 interview with 60 Minutes Australia, she called it “just like a tornado, it was everything happening at once.”
And in 2013, she told Vogue: “He didn’t like the atmosphere of me being the boss on tour. So that was really hurtful, and it was very controlling, which was upsetting.”
Read More: Russell Brand’s past interaction with Katy Perry leaves fans disgusted
With Brand’s conviction now bringing renewed attention to their past, Perry’s earlier joke has taken on a much more serious significance.
