The Troubled Life Of Russell Brand's Sister-In-Law Kirsty Gallacher
Russell Brand has been open about his struggles with drug and sex addictions and how he's overcome them. He's credited his wife, author Laura Gallacher, whom he married in 2017, with making him a better man and. As recently as June 2023, he gushed about how fatherhood helped him realize what love truly is. However, in September 2023, all of his claims about becoming a 'new' Russell Brand were called into question when he was hit with a string of sexual assault allegations, all of which he's vehemently denied.
While Laura promptly deleted her Instagram account, her sister and Brand's sister-in-law, TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher, openly stood by her brother-in-law. While she eventually deleted her message of support, it seems Kirsty, who was actually the one to introduce Brand to Laura back in 2007, shares a special bond with the comedian. As she's repeatedly told the media, he was there for her when she needed it most following a string of traumatic incidents, including the breakdown of her marriage and an arrest. "He's a great sounding board and I'm very lucky to have him in my life," she told The Sun in 2020, noting he's given her invaluable personal and professional advice. Speaking with Closer that same year, she gushed (via MailOnline), "Russell has always been a pillar of support."
Given Kirsty Gallacher's troubled life, it seems she may have needed all the support she could get.
Kirsty Gallacher admitted to drunk driving
Kirsty Gallacher made headlines for all the wrong reasons in 2017 when she was pulled over by police in Eton, England around 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning after folks noticed her driving "erratically." She underwent a breathalyzer test, which revealed she was almost three times over the legal limit, and was charged with driving under the influence, per Metro. The former Sky Sports News host ultimately pleaded guilty to the charge and was banned from driving for two years, plus ordered to complete 100 hours of community service. However, her representative, Jennifer Dempster, made sure to tell the court it was all a terrible mistake and totally out of character for Gallacher. As she explained, the TV personality had actually taken a taxi home after a night out with friends and hadn't gotten behind the wheel until the next morning when she was due to pick up her kids from her ex-husband's home. "This is, in many senses, unintentional drink-driving," Dempster said, per The Guardian.
It wasn't the first time Gallacher's reported drinking made news. In 2016, she was accused of slurring her words and being drunk on live TV after collapsing during an ad break. However, once at the hospital, it was confirmed she had no alcohol in her system and she blamed the incident on a virus infection.
Kirsty Gallacher suffered a long string of traumatic events
Kirsty Gallacher struggled to put her DUI behind her, but she eventually opened up about the incident in a 2019 interview with The Mail on Sunday's You magazine. As she revealed, a long series of traumatic events led up to the arrest. First, in 2013, her dad, pro golfer Bernard Gallacher, went into cardiac arrest and medically died three times before doctors brought him back. Then, in 2014, her four-year marriage to rugby player Paul Sampson ended, which Gallacher found exceedingly difficult. The fact that they shared two young children only made the split more painful. "I was just so anxious about the kids — my pain was connected with their pain, and I didn't look after myself," she recalled.
Rather than slowing down, she signed up to compete on "Strictly Come Dancing" in 2015. As she told The Sun in 2020, that was a mistake. While balancing family, heartbreak, and her full-time job at Sky, she could barely handle the added pressure. "I was exhausted, delicate and skinny and running on empty," she confessed. "It all tipped me over the edge." Saying she wasn't thinking straight, she admitted that driving that morning was a bad decision and one that was "very un-Kirsty." Then came the arrest and it was the final straw. "I'd hit rock bottom," she said.
Thankfully, she's since turned things around by slowing down and focusing on her physical and mental health, which included the surprise decision to quit Sky Sports News in 2018 after 20 years.