YouTube Demonetizes Russel Brand Following Rape And Sexual Assault Allegations

Written by K. Walker on September 19, 2023

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NOTE: This article may include commentary reflecting the author’s position.

What happened to the presumption of innocence?

Whatever you think about the serious allegations made against Russell Brand in the press, the West has always held to a presumption of innocence, but that standard is being deliberately eroded.

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People are always going to have their personal views about the guilt or innocence when claims like this are made — many Democrats believe that Trump raped E. Jean Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman change room decades ago while many Republicans think it’s absurd. Similarly, some on the Right believe Tara Reade’s claim that then-Senator Joe Biden pushed her against the wall, kissed her, put his hand up her skirt, and digitally penetrated her, while Democrats don’t think the allegation is credible at all.

In a category by itself was the absolute clown show during the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh — absolutely absurd allegations were tabled and allowed to run amok.

Meanwhile, cases that seemed like they were slam-dunks weren’t so easy to prove — the cases against Kevin Spacey and even some of Harvey Weinstein’s accusers show that.

Some on the right will say that the allegations against Brand are interestingly timed, were solicited by the media, and are being made against a guy who unapologetically questions prevailing narratives.

That said, the allegations are credible, quite serious, unquestionably disturbing, and have been made by multiple women — one of whom alleges that she was just 16 years old at the time.

You don’t know the truth of the allegations, nor do I. We can have our opinions, but we don’t know what is actually true.

Brand posted a video before the news dropped denying the accusations.

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The important thing is, in a Western democracy, Brand has a right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. He has a right to defend himself in a court of law against these accusations.

No cable news network, newspaper, or social media company should undermine that — and yet, that’s precisely what has happened.

YouTube has decided to be the judge and jury and has suspended Brand from making money on the platform.

YouTube said monetization of Brand’s account, which has 6.6 million subscribers, has been suspended “following serious allegations against the creator.”
“This decision applies to all channels that may be owned or operated by Russell Brand,” the Google-owned video service said.
The suspension means Brand won’t be able to earn money from the ads that run within and alongside YouTube videos, which have titles including “What REALLY Started the Hawaii Fires?” and “Covid Tsar Admits Lockdowns Were NEVER About Science.”
Other channels associated with Brand’s main YouTube page include Awakening With Russell, which has 426,000 subscribers, Football Is Nice, which has some 20,000 subscribers, and Stay Free With Russell Brand, which has 22,200 subscribers.
Source: New York Post

YouTube explained that its “creator responsibility policy” in a statement.

“If a creator’s off-platform behavior harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community,” said YouTube in a statement.

What does that even mean? How do the actions of an individual when they’re not filming a YouTube video affect the YouTube “ecosystem” and “community”?

Are they just using broad language so that they can point to it when there’s a content creator they want to silence?

This is a dangerous precedent that not only affects his income, but could potentially taint a jury pool if the allegations do make it to court.

British TalkTV host, Julia Hartley-Brewer, discussed YouTube’s concerning move on her show with Spiked Online’s editor, Tom Slater.

She’s not the only one having a problem with it.

There has been widespread condemnation all over X.

Tim Pool sums up the reaction nicely.

Rod Dreher is a little more eloquent with the same sentiment.

This doesn’t bode well.

Rebel News Australia’s Avi Yemini raised a very interesting question…

Indeed. Why now, all of a sudden?

By the way, Brand has been pretty open that he was an awful person back in the day, but he has changed his ways.

Here is GB News presenter Tonia Buxton — who met Brand when he was at his worst — condemning the “trial by media” happening right now.

Fair points.

But hey… it’s not like these kinds of policies are being arbitrarily used against certain individuals and not others, right?

And this is a unique situation, right?

Let’s hope that there’s enough push-back that YouTube will change this policy because it’s one giant leap closer to a Big Tech dystopia where people are no longer free to speak.

K. Walker
ClashDaily's Associate Editor since August 2016. Self-described political junkie, anti-Third Wave Feminist, and a nightmare to the 'intersectional' crowd. Mrs. Walker has taken a stand against 'white privilege' education in public schools. She's also an amateur Playwright, former Drama teacher, and staunch defender of the Oxford comma. Follow her humble musings on Twitter: @TheMrsKnowItAll and on Gettr @KarenWalker
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