Russel Brand Demonetized on YouTube, Dropped by Media

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If you’ve been anywhere on the internet over the last few days, you know that Russell Brand, the British comedian, provocateur, and social commentator, is being accused of various forms of sexual assault and harassment by several women. Well, the fallout is happening right on schedule, as according to NBC News, Brand has had his YouTube channel demonetized, and some of his videos have been removed from BBC streaming services iPlayer and Sounds for “[falling] below public expectations,” whatever that vague statement means. He’s also been dropped by his management agency and, as reported by BBC, his publisher, Bluebird, for which he’s written several best-selling books. Brand has canceled his upcoming stand-up comedy performances. It’s important to note that Brand has not been charged with anything, none of his accusers from the media stories have filed police reports (the London Metropolitan Police said they received a report of sexual assault from 2003 over the weekend – after the allegations made the news – and implied it was against Brand, though his name was not mentioned), and he denies the claims.

This is happening pic.twitter.com/N8zIKLbJN2

— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) September 15, 2023

In terms of Russell Brand’s guilt or innocence, my position is the only honest one anyone but Brand or his accusers can have: I don’t know. From my perspective, it’s as possible as any story I’ve never witnessed with evidence (if there is any; in the above video, Brand insists there is, and that it exonerates him, which seems kind of important to me) I’ve not seen involving people I’ve never met is, which is 50-50. But I do know that I’m sick and tired of people having their lives destroyed over accusations. The gut reaction this elicits is sympathy for the accused, who has not – and likely never will – have his day in court. We’ve been here before with many famous people, and no matter how many mistakes are made, the companies who make these decisions never learn from them. Johnny Depp was finally vindicated, and everyone just shuffles along as if nothing happened, wondering why he doesn’t want to play Jack Sparrow for the people who cast him out and called him a wife-beater anymore. Justin Roiland had the charges against him dropped, and none of the rumors about him were in any way verified, but the people who threw him in the trash will continue to make money off his creation while he tries to put his life back together.

And now, there’s Russell Brand; this is a new story, and I’m sure it’s nowhere close to being over, but once again, he is presumed guilty and has his livelihood taken away from him. If you’ve seen the arguments in defense of Brand (which Brand himself uses in the Twitter video above), they mostly say that he’s been targeted for a smear campaign because the ultra-left-wing commentator started saying things the left didn’t like, and if there’s one thing a religion hates, it’s an apostate. That may be true or it may not be, but YouTube demonetizing his popular channel, his publisher (which I’m sure is not right-of-center) dropping him, and the BBC removing some of his videos before a single charge has been filed validate that narrative. (One of Brand’s accusers says the BBC facilitated his abuse of her, which makes their sudden righteous indignation seem as legitimate as those alien autopsy pictures.) Sure, these could just be knee-jerk reactions to bad publicity, but consider this: in that NBC News article, the media organization outright admits to contacting Spotify, Luminary, and other platforms Brand uses to see if they would be following BBC’s lead and removing Brand’s videos; that’s not a thinly-veiled suggestion at all, and it certainly doesn’t make this look like a coordinated attack on someone who’s fallen out of favor with the media. In his Twitter video, Brand also says that the email and letter he received from media outlets told him he shouldn’t be allowed to criticize the news media; what does that have to with the allegations against him aside from warning him to shut up?

What’s going to happen now? Nothing good. If Brand is guilty, I doubt charges will be filed – or will stick if they are – because of the way all of this was handled, by which I mean media reporting before any kind of police investigation, plus the fact that these allegations are from ten-plus years ago. If he’s innocent, it won’t matter because he’s had his reputation tarnished forever, and no media outlet or platform will want him anywhere near them. In the court of public opinion, and certainly in the court of corporate media, the verdict is always “guilty.”