Russell Brand knows he was at fault.
On December 31, 2011, the British comedian sent a text to then-wife Katy Perry ending their 14-month marriage. “Let’s just say, I haven’t heard from him since,” the pop star recalled to Vogue in 2013, adding, “He’s a very smart man, and I was in love with him when I marred him.”
Looking back, Brand, who wed Laura Gallacher in August, admits he was a different person then.
“I’ve changed a lot in the last five years,” he exclusively tells Us Weekly. “I don’t compare my relationships now to previous relationships out of respect to my present wife and to Katy Perry. I think I’m an easier person to be with now. I’m also in a very different situation. I’m dependent on my wife. In relationships, there is always going to be a level of dependency. But I try not to project my problems onto other people and perhaps I’ve not always been like that.
In his new book, Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions, the 14-years sober actor lays out the 12-step no-B.S. guide that has personally helped him cope with his struggles, including his battles with drugs, sex and food.
“It’s like I’ve been to a college of mental illness and now I’ve graduated,” Brand admits. “I want to help more people get into recovery. I want to help people become conscious of their addictions. I want to help people look at the world differently and pursue goals that are for their benefit and not to the benefit of other people.”
Brand and Gallacher’s daughter Mabel, who they welcomed in November 2016, has also aided in his self-discovery. Fatherhood, he says “has made me recognize that what I want and what I need is not important. It’s what she wants and what she needs. That’s a good thing because I can be a very self-obsessed guy.”
And as the tot grows up, he’ll use the program to teach her express herself. “It’s the only thing I know that works,” adds Brand. “I’m going to encourage her to talk openly about her feelings and identity. I’m sure all parents think this. I’ve already argued with friends of mine like, ‘I’ll be able to reach her!’”
For more from Brand, including his introduction to heroin, his nearly 10-year sex addiction and more, read Us’ full interview. Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions is on book shelves now.
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