Katy Perry has made her first public appearance at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony since her ex-husband, Russell Brand, was charged with rape and sexual assault
Showbiz Alexandra Snow 03:54, 07 Apr 2025
Katy Perry dazzled on her first public outing since the shocking news that her ex-husband, Russell Brand, faced rape and sexual assault charges.
The pop sensation was all glam as she struck poses on the red carpet at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony last night. The event, hosted in Santa Monica, California, celebrates major wins in Fundamental Physics, Life Sciences, and Mathematics.
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Six prizes of $3 million each were awarded at the event, with the Breakthrough Prize Foundation also announcing that eight early-career physicists and mathematicians are sharing six $100,000 New Horizons Prizes and three women mathematicians recently completing PhDs are each receiving a $50,000 Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize.
The glitzy annual event began in 2013 and saw a star-studded guest list including Kate Hudson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lauren Sánchez, Drew Barrymore, and Christina Aguilera.
Katy, 40, was a vision in a shimmering long silver frock, topped off with a headpiece, crafted by designer Gaurav Gupta for the spring/summer 2024 line and debuted at Paris Couture Week last year.
Social media was abuzz with fans heaping praise on the Hot N Cold singer, with one gushing she looked "gorgeous" and another exclaimed, "I was so not ready for that and the look omg it's definitely the best look of the year I say/said it i don t care."
Katy made a public appearance for the first time since her ex, Brand, was slapped with rape and sexual assault charges by London's Metropolitan Police on Friday. The charges came after an 18-month probe triggered by claims from four women who said they were attacked by him.
He now faces one count of rape, one of indecent assault, one of oral rape, and two counts of sexual assault.
After being charged, Brand took to social media to deny any "non-consensual" sexual antics. He owned up to his past as a sex and drug addict but was adamant: "I have never been a rapist."
Katy and Brand's marriage lasted 14 months before they split.
Brand tied the knot with Laura Gallacher in 2017, while Perry is set to marry Orlando Bloom.
Just a day before the charges hit headlines, Brand, 49, dropped Katy's name on his Stay Free with Russell Brand podcast. He said: "What can I tell you is, when I was married to Katy Perry, she's like, not entirely normal, because she's an extraordinary, massive star - but she's not weird or off key. And wasn't involved in anything nefarious, as far as I could tell.
"I obviously disagree with [Perry's] political views. But I probably disagree with some of my wife's political views, my beloved wife, Laura Brand's political views. So, you know, you always disagree with people, don't ya?"
Meanwhile, Katy's gearing up for a cosmic adventure set for April 14, joining an all-women crew on Blue Origin, the space venture by Amazon boss Jeff Bezos.
The 'Roar' singer will be in stellar company with TV star Gayle King, rocket whiz Aisha Bowe, rights champ Amanda Nguyen, director Kerianne Fynn, and Lauren Sánchez, who's also Bezos's fiancée and the brains behind the 11-minute space jaunt.
This historic trip, dubbed NS-31, will be the New Shepherd rocket's 11th launch and the first time in 60 years that an all-female crew has blasted off.
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