YouTube has taken action on Russell Brand after he was accused of sexual assault in a new Dispatches documentary.
The night before Channel 4’s Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches dropped, the comedian and activist took to social media to refute the “very serious criminal allegations” made against him in the documentary.
Brand shared the clip on his YouTube channel, where he’s amassed a 6.61 million following and shifted his rhetoric from left-wing ideology to conspiracy politics. While he’s got the backing of the following he’s cultivated in recent months, others believe the shift is conveniently timed.
Whatever the case, Brand is facing the consequences. His live tour has been cancelled, he’s the subject of a police inquiry, partner organizations have severed ties – and now it looks like even his YouTube channel is at risk.
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YouTube takes action amid Russell Brand allegations
Amid the ongoing inquiries into the rape and sexual assault allegations against Brand, YouTube has demonetized his channel in a bid to “protect the community.” While his videos will remain on his page, he won’t be able to make money from adverts played on his content, as of Monday, September 18.
A YouTube spokesperson said (via Deadline) that Brand had violated “creator responsibility policy,” adding: “If a creator’s off-platform behavior harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community.”
Brand’s videos draw in millions of viewers, making his content a steady stream of revenue. Sara McCorquodale, the chief executive of the social media analysis agency CORQ, told The Guardian: “He is most likely making £2,000 to £4,000 per video, not taking into account any affiliate deals and brand sponsorships that might be running in the background.”
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The news arrives after the release of Russell Brand: In Plain Sight, which saw four women make allegations about Brand relating to sexual assault, rape, and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013.
The Times and Sunday Times, which carried out the investigation with Channel 4’s Dispatches, reports that it has since been “contacted by several women” who made “claims about Brand’s behavior since the early 2000s,” and these are now being “rigorously checked.”
London’s Metropolitan Police has also launched an inquiry into the case and encouraged survivors to get in contact with the force.
Brand denies the claims, saying in his video statement that two “mainstream media outlets” are making a “coordinated” attack on him in light of his rhetoric switch. The comedian has received the backing of the likes of Elon Musk and Andrew Tate.
A heated debate is unfolding online, with Brand’s community rushing to his support. There has been much talk about the “mainstream media,” with one writing on X/Twitter: “Clearly Matrix attack because he’s speaking against WEF and elites.”
On the other side of the debate, people believe the timing is suspect. “Anyone surprised that Russell Brand is fifteen levels of f*cked up obviously has not been paying attention,” said one Redditor. “His whole ‘the mainstream media is out to get me because I know too much’ spiel would be laughable if I didn’t know so many people will buy into it.”
Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches is available to stream on Channel 4’s streaming service now. You can read more about the documentary and the case below:
