Content warning: This article contains mention of sexual assault.
Aastha Trivedi
Actor, comedian, and YouTuber Russell Brand has been blocked from earning revenues through his YouTube videos.
Brand was brought under a joint investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and the Sunday Times for four allegations of sexual assault, rape, and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013. The Metropolitan London police reported that they received an allegation dated as early as 2003.
Brand denied such allegations, stating that they emerged from a period of his life when he “was very promiscuous,” but “absolutely always consensual.”
He further accused the media of planning a “coordinated attack” against him and his platform.
Brand developed a reputation as a social media personality on his YouTube channel, where he explored topics including social inequality, spirituality, and COVID-19. Brand’s account has now been suspended on the basis that he has violated YouTube’s creator responsibility policy.
According to a YouTube spokesperson, YouTube will make efforts to protect its online community when a creator’s offline behaviour is harmful to employees or others.
BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and Comedy Central programs which previously featured Brand have also been removed. In order to prepare for the large decrease in revenues from YouTube, Brand moved many of his videos to the streaming site Rumble.
Russell Brand’s Client Relationships
Russell Brand’s YouTube Profits
Many YouTubers are able to monetise their YouTube videos when they reach a high number of views. They can also profit from paid promotions and advertisements.
According to Sara McCorquodale, author and chief executive of social media analysis agency CORQ, Brand generated between £2,000 and £4,000 for every Youtube video he produced. However, McCorquodale noted that Brand’s ability to monetise his videos “has by no means been stopped,” as he still profits from paid adverts on Rumble.
According to the Guardian, Brand’s channel of 6.6 million subscribers produced mostly 5 videos weekly resulting in £1 million of annual income. He also has three other YouTube channels with an additional 470,000 subscribers.
Further Investigations into Russell Brand
Agencies have secured a myriad of evidence for the four rape and sexual assault allegations faced by Brand.
The Times was able to document medical records of treatment at a rape crisis centre by a woman who alleged that she had been raped by Brand in her Los Angeles home. Brand continues to face a police investigation by Thames Valley police when he was accused of harassment and stalking as recently as 2018.
Brand vehemently continues to maintain his innocence despite all the evidence that has been collected.
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Featured image courtesy of David B Young via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here.
