The Moment
Russell Brand has officially entered the chat about Katy Perry’s love life, and he did it with a microphone, a crowd, and a political agenda.
On Thursday in Phoenix at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, the 50-year-old comedian took a swipe at Perry’s new romance with former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, calling him a “globalist stooge” in front of a cheering audience.
“Look, Katy Perry, I was married to her,” Brand said onstage, according to event footage. “I love her still, and I’m glad that her mom is in the room to hear me say this, but look.”
Then he went straight for the headline: “I was OK with Orlando Bloom,” he added, referencing Perry’s ex-fiance. “But Justin Trudeau? C’mon, man! Don’t put me in a category with that guy!”
So that’s where we are now: your ex-husband rating your current boyfriend like he’s judging The Voice, but from a political rally.
The Take
I’m just going to say what everyone over 40 is thinking: there is something deeply second-hand embarrassing about a man commenting on his ex-wife’s boyfriend more than a decade after the divorce. Especially when he does it on a political stage.
Brand tried to soften it by saying he still loves Katy and giving a nod to her mom in the room. That’s sweet on paper. But then he undercut it with the “globalist stooge” line and the “don’t put me in a category with that guy” jab at Trudeau.
The vibe? Classic “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed”… loudly, into a microphone, in front of thousands of people.
Let’s be honest: this isn’t really about Katy Perry’s love life. This is Brand using his old marriage as content in a culture-war bit. Orlando Bloom he’s “OK with” – safe Hollywood territory, Legolas, pirate, very neutral. But Trudeau is a political lightning rod, so suddenly the ex-husband routine turns into a monologue about globalism and categories.
It’s like your ex logging onto Facebook to critique your new partner, but instead of posting in the family group chat, he does it onstage at a conference.
Meanwhile, Perry and Trudeau are out here taking cozy selfies, going Instagram-official on her feed, and strolling hand-in-hand in Paris for her 41st birthday. Whatever you think of the pairing – pop megastar plus ex-world leader is a very 2025 sentence – they’re living their lives, not giving 20-minute speeches about Russell Brand.
And there’s a bigger pattern worth calling out: women’s dating choices are still treated like public property, especially if an ex-husband is colorful and quotable. Brand’s comments will travel a lot farther than Perry’s own posts about, say, her kid, her music, or anything she actually cares to promote.
Do I think Brand is secretly trying to win her back? No. What I see is a performer who knows mentioning “my ex-wife Katy Perry” gets attention, and “my ex-wife Katy Perry who is dating Justin Trudeau” practically writes the headlines for him.
But there’s a line between making fun of your own past and turning your ex’s present into a punchline. He’s toeing that line hard.
Receipts
Confirmed:
‘That Globalist Stooge’: Katy Perry’s Ex Russell Brand Goes Off on Her New Boyfriend Justin Trudeau in Odd Rant https://t.co/81MQNAnlry pic.twitter.com/PDg3J13PA2
— OK! Magazine USA (@OKMagazine) December 19, 2025
- Russell Brand spoke about Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau onstage at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, according to event footage from the conference in December 2025.
- Brand referred to Trudeau as a “globalist stooge” and said, “I was OK with Orlando Bloom… But Justin Trudeau? C’mon, man! Don’t put me in a category with that guy!”
- Brand also said of Perry, “I was married to her… I love her still,” and acknowledged her mother being present at the event.
- Perry and Trudeau were photographed holding hands and packing on PDA in Paris in October 2025, including arriving together for her 41st birthday celebration.
- Earlier this month, Perry posted smiling selfies with Trudeau on her official Instagram account, effectively making the relationship Instagram-official.
- Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom became engaged after an on-and-off relationship that began in 2016; they welcomed their daughter Daisy in 2020.
- Perry and Brand married in October 2010 and split the following year; their divorce was finalized in 2012, according to prior public records and their own past interviews.
- Orlando Bloom “liked” a satirical Instagram post joking that he should date German Chancellor Angela Merkel in light of Perry and Trudeau’s relationship.
Unverified / Framed As Opinion:
- Any claim that Brand’s comments were driven by jealousy or a desire to rekindle a romance with Perry. He did not explicitly say that.
- Speculation that Perry’s relationship with Trudeau is politically motivated rather than personal; neither has publicly framed it that way.
- The idea that Brand’s remarks represent Perry’s family’s views; only his own words are on record.
Backstory (For Casual Readers)
If you lost the plot after the “Teenage Dream” era, here’s the quick refresher. Katy Perry and Russell Brand started dating in late 2009 and got engaged that New Year’s Eve. They married in October 2010 in India, then split within about a year; the divorce was finalized in 2012. Perry later moved on with British actor Orlando Bloom in 2016. After a few breakups and makeups, they got engaged and welcomed their daughter, Daisy, in 2020.
In 2025, Perry’s love life took another unexpected turn when she was spotted getting close to Justin Trudeau, who had recently wrapped up his time as Canada’s Prime Minister. By October, they were photographed kissing and holding hands on her birthday trip in Paris. Earlier this month, she posted selfies with him on Instagram, confirming what the paparazzi had already made obvious: they’re a couple.
What’s Next
So where does this go from here?
For Russell Brand, this probably won’t be the last we hear of it. He has built an audience by mixing comedy, politics, and personal history, and a line like “globalist stooge” is tailor-made to be clipped and shared. Watch for follow-up riffs on his own shows or future live events.
For Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau, the smartest move may be the one they seem to be making already: post what they want, ignore the noise, and keep the focus on their own narrative, not her ex-husband’s running commentary.
Orlando Bloom, for his part, appears content to do what divorced dads with good Wi-Fi do best: communicate in likes. That subtle tap on a satirical post about dating Angela Merkel says, “I see it, I get the joke, and I’m not writing an essay.” Honestly? That might be the healthiest energy in this whole triangle.
The bigger question is about boundaries. When does talking about your famous ex become unfair to their current life? Celebrities know their pasts will follow them, but they’re also allowed to move on without being turned into material for somebody else’s political routine.
Eyes now are on whether Perry or Trudeau will address Brand’s remarks at all – or simply let them float off into the endless churn of clips and hot takes. My bet: they keep walking hand-in-hand and let the exes shout into the crowd.
Sources: Event footage and attendee clips from Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix (December 2025); Katy Perry’s Instagram posts featuring Justin Trudeau (December 2025); publicly available timelines of Katy Perry, Russell Brand, and Orlando Bloom’s relationships and divorce records.
Where do you draw the line – is it ever appropriate for an ex to publicly rate your new partner, or should that be a hard no once the ink on the divorce is dry?
Comments