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Russell Brand, Katy Perry Divorce After 1 Year

By Andrew Chow, Esq. on December 30, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

No joke, it's now official: British comedian Russell Brand is divorcing pop star and California "gurl" Katy Perry. Brand's lawyer filed for divorce this morning in Los Angeles, the UK's Daily Mail reports.

Expect some possible fireworks in court. The Russell Brand-Katy Perry divorce follows "a massive fight," Us Weekly reports. Katy Perry "was like 'F--- you. I'm going to do my own thing,'" a source tells the magazine.

It seems California girls really are "fierce," like Perry's song claims -- as in fiercely independent. While Perry, 27, was spotted in Hawaii over the Christmas holiday, husband Brand was seen tossing back some beers in a pub in the UK, he Daily Mail reports.

Perhaps tellingly, Brand was not wearing his wedding ring, the Mail reports.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry -- whose legal name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson, according to divorce papers obtained by TMZ.com -- tied the knot in India in October 2010. The couple denied rumors of marital trouble as recently as a few weeks ago, TMZ reports. Brand even went on the "Ellen" show and proclaimed, "I'm really happily married."

But the funnyman seems to have changed his tune. Russell Brand's divorce papers cite "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the breakup.

Looking ahead, the division of the couple's property may be the biggest legal issue. California is a community property state -- meaning both Perry and Brand have equal claims to all property and income accrued by either party between their date of marriage and their date of separation.

The couple's date of separation is "to be determined," Russell Brand's divorce paperwork states. Brand now has 30 days to serve Perry with divorce documents, and Perry will then have 30 days to respond.

If Perry fails to respond, "default" divorce proceedings may commence, and the divorce could be finalized in as little as six months. Don't count on that, though. Katy Perry (who surely will retain counsel) has not yet publicly commented about Russell Brand's divorce filing.

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