Trump's surprising take on Russell Brand after Katy Perry split

Donald Trump told Katy Perry she had made a "big mistake" marrying Russell Brand.

That was in 2011, five years before Trump became president.

On Thursday, a jury found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.

Brand, 51, now faces a lengthy prison sentence.

The verdict came after a four-week trial at Southwark Crown Court in London.

Trump's comments about Brand and Perry resurfaced in the wake of the conviction.

In 2010, Brand and Perry married in a private ceremony in India.

The marriage lasted just over a year.

Brand filed for divorce in December 2011.

The day before that filing, Trump posted on Twitter.

"I like Russell Brand, but Katy Perry made a big mistake when she married him," Trump wrote.

"Let's see if I'm right---I hope not."

The couple legally split the following year.

By 2014, Trump had sharpened his criticism of Brand.

"I watched Russell Brand and I think his mind is fried - he looks really bad," Trump wrote.

"Russell is a total joke, a dummy who is lost."

In another post in October 2014, Trump wrote: "Katy Perry must have been drunk when she married Russell Brand - but he did send me a really nice letter of apology!"

Brand responded at the time.

"Donald Trump are you drunk when you write these tweets?" Brand wrote.

"Or does that foam you spray on your bald head make you high?"

The next day, Trump wrote again.

"Katy, what the hell were you thinking when you married loser Russell Brand," Trump posted.

"There is a guy who has got nothing going, a waste!"

Trump and Brand have clashed several times over the years.

But in recent years, Brand appeared to throw his support behind Trump.

In June, Brand said: "My support for T" — the Independent article cut off at that point.

The trial revealed that Brand preyed on women he encountered while becoming one of Britain's best-known stand-up comedians.

He was also a lauded TV and radio host and a Hollywood movie star.

The jury cleared Brand of two counts of rape and one charge of attempted indecent assault.

Judge Mr Justice Bennathan ruled that Brand must be remanded into custody until sentencing on Monday.

Brand will receive a lengthy prison sentence at that hearing.

Trump's old tweets have now drawn renewed attention.

Some observers noted that Trump's prediction about the marriage proved accurate.

Others pointed out the irony of Trump calling Brand a "loser" given Trump's own legal troubles.

Trump has been convicted on 34 felony counts in New York in a hush-money case.

He also faces multiple other criminal investigations.

Brand's conviction marks a dramatic fall for a figure who once commanded massive audiences.

He rose to fame as a wild-haired comedian on British television.

He later hosted radio shows, appeared in Hollywood films like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," and became a political commentator.

In recent years, Brand shifted to online content, building a large following on YouTube and Rumble.

He often criticized mainstream media and government institutions.

His trial heard testimony from multiple women who said he assaulted them between 2006 and 2013.

The prosecution argued that Brand used his fame and power to target vulnerable women.

The defense maintained that all encounters were consensual.

The jury deliberated for several days before reaching its verdict.

Brand showed no visible reaction as the verdict was read.

His legal team has indicated they will appeal.

For now, Brand remains in custody awaiting sentencing.

The case has sparked broader conversations about accountability for powerful men in entertainment.

It has also revived interest in Trump's long history of commenting on celebrity marriages and scandals.

Trump has a well-documented pattern of weighing in on high-profile relationships.

He has opined on the marriages of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and many others.

His comments about Brand and Perry were among his earliest viral celebrity takes.

At the time, Trump was still a reality TV star and real estate mogul.

He had not yet entered politics.

His tweets about Brand were typical of his pre-presidential social media presence.

They mixed personal opinion with a prediction about the outcome.

That prediction — that Perry would regret the marriage — turned out to be accurate.

The marriage ended in divorce after just 14 months.

Now, with Brand's conviction, the full context of Trump's comments has shifted.

What once seemed like a petty celebrity jab now reads differently.

Trump's reference to Brand sending a "really nice letter of apology" has also drawn curiosity.