YouTube has been widely criticized for its decision to revoke comedian Russell Brand’s right to make money from advertising on his popular channel after a series of women came forward with disturbing allegations of rape and sexual assault.
Brand is accused of attacking four women who told their stories anonymously to Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Times.
Brand insists he is innocent and the victim of an attack by the “mainstream media” – a claim that many of his supporters support.
Despite the shocking nature of the allegations, which include that he had an abusive relationship with a 16-year-old girl when he was 31, he has not been arrested or charged with a crime.
The Metropolitan Police in London are investigating a separate allegation against Brand relating to a 2003 incident, but say they have not received reports of the allegations in either the documentary or the newspaper report.
Brand has since been crucified and martyred in the court of public opinion.
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Russell Brand leaves the Troubadour Wembley Park Theater in London on Saturday after the allegations against him were made public
Brand posted this video on his YouTube account in which he vehemently denied the allegations
Yesterday, YouTube announced that while he would be allowed to stay on the platform, it would no longer allow him to make money from his channel.
“When a YouTuber’s off-platform behavior harms our users, employees, or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community,” the streaming site says. The BBC has also removed Brand’s shows from its iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
This decision is now being criticized – not only by Brand’s own fans, but also by others who say it is premature due to Brand’s own denials and lack of due process in the face of overwhelming public interest and opinion.
Among them is Piers Morgan, who said on his talk TV show last night: “As far as we all know at the moment, these are allegations, albeit very serious ones, that have been extremely well researched in investigative journalism.”
“There is something slightly Orwellian about a company that says it will continue to host its videos and keep millions of eyeballs on its platform, but share none of the spoils.”
“In a free, democratic society, it is dangerous for a powerful corporation to appoint itself a jury judge and possibly a premature executioner.”
Morgan leveled the same criticism at Brand fans or naysayers who are quick to assume he is the victim of a mainstream media witch hunt.
“There’s something slightly Orwellian about a company saying it will continue to host its videos – which draws millions of views to its platform – but won’t share the financial gains.”
Piers Morgan comments on Russell Brand’s content being taken down on YouTube.@piersmorgan pic.twitter.com/T6aOGtfW11
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) September 19, 2023
Backlash: Many have condemned YouTube’s decision as premature, even though Brand has not yet been arrested or charged with a crime
“The way the story is playing out online is evidence of a slightly larger problem, namely tribalism.” Millions of people have flocked to RB without even reading the vile claims against him.
“They think it’s a conspiracy by the mainstream media to destroy a man who got too close to the truth.” Personally, I think that’s nonsense.
“Millions more have condemned him based on their opinions and forced companies to end his career before he was given due process. “I also believe it is wrong for them to rush to convict.”
Telegraph columnist Allison Pearson described YouTube’s decision as “appalling”.
“Whatever you think about the Russell Brand scandal – and he faces four serious allegations of rape, assault and ’emotional abuse’ – the decision by YouTube, where he has 6.5 million subscribers, is simply appalling.” Actually chill.
“This Orwellian revelation by Russell Brand not only violates a fundamental tenet of a free society – these are still just allegations, remember – it also makes the prospect of a fair trial should he ever be charged unlikely.”
One accuser, Alice (pictured), claims Russell Brand sexually abused her when she was 16. She claims he would send a car to pick her up from high school. She has since claimed it was a “BBC car”.
“Our system assumes a man is innocent until proven guilty.” “The attempt to expose Russell Brand is almost as disturbing as the sins of which he is accused,” she wrote in her Tuesday column.
The Spectator’s Brendan O’Neill also wrote that it was “wrong” that YouTube was taking away his livelihood, and The Washington Examiner also condemned the move.
Likewise, conservatives including Megyn Kelly are urging caution against believing Brand’s claim that he is the victim of a mainstream media witch hunt.
Megyn Kelly said on her SiriusXM show, “I realize that so many people’s knee-jerk instinct right now is that ‘Russell Brand’ is being wrongly accused.” These women are all liars.
“For a second stay, could you please be open to the possibility that the women are telling the truth?”
“We don’t need to correct the #MeToo movement to the point where every woman is completely ignored and called a liar if she finds the courage to come forward and make an accusation.”
“Maybe they’re telling the truth!”
Brand received immediate support from Elon Musk and Andrew Tate, who himself is accused of sex trafficking in Eastern Europe. Many claim that he is being unfairly targeted by the “left.”
