Comedian and actor Russell Brand has taken a step in his faith.
“Yesterday, I got baptized and it was an incredible, profound experience,” Brand shared on Instagram on Monday.
“Many aspects of it were very intimate and personal. The truth is this: As a person that has in the past taken many, many substances and always been disappointed with the inability to deliver the kind of tranquility and peace and even transcendence that I’ve always felt I’ve been looking for, something occurred in the process of baptism that was incredible, overwhelming.”
In the video, Brand explained that while this is still a new step in his journey, he’s already begun to feel a change in his life.
“I’ve already felt irritation,” he said. “I got three children. I got a job. I’ve got challenges. I still live in the world. But I feel a new resource in me has switched on.”
Brand shared that he decided to get baptized “for myself” but prays “it will be relevant to my family, in particular to my children.”
“I’m learning and I will make mistakes, but this is my path now and I already feel incredibly blessed, relieved, nourished, held,” he said. “It’s been an incredible experience.”
On Friday, April 26, Brand posted a video saying that he was making plans to get baptized after a difficult year.
“What’s been explained to me is, it’s an opportunity to die and be reborn,” he said in an Instagram video when discussing his baptism. “An opportunity to leave the past behind and be reborn in Christ’s name.”
During his 20s, Brand struggled with a heroin addiction. He’s been open about his recovery process, and in December 2023 he shared that he was 21 years sober. Back in 2017, he spoke with RELEVANT about he began his faith journey while in recovery for addiction.
“My route to spirituality comes through addiction, so it comes from desperation and fear and this sort of defeat, destruction, annihilation of self in a very humiliating way, I suppose,” he said. “So, I had no choice but to embrace spiritual life, but now I am grateful for this. It makes sense of my life.”
