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Russell Brand Demonetized After Sexual Assault Claims

YouTube has demonetized Russell Brand’s channel following allegations that the British comedian raped one woman and sexually assaulted three others between 2006 and 2013 – allegations which remained un-alleged for a decade until Brand appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show six weeks ago.

In a video released before the Sunday Times published the allegations, Brand, 48, denied “serious criminal allegations” and said that while he has a history of promiscuity, all of his relationships “were absolutely, always consensual.”

According to YouTube, it stopped monetizing Brand’s channel because it violated its “creator responsibility policy.”

“If a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community,” a YouTube spokesperson told Deadline.

His content will remain on YouTube, but he will no longer be able to make money from the videos, which lean heavily into internet conspiracies about politics, COVID-19, and UFOs.

Sara McCorquodale, chief executive of social media analysis agency CORQ, told The Guardian that Brand makes an estimated £2,000 ($2,500) to £4,000 per video, which would equate to up to £1M a year if he published five a week. -Deadline

Brand’s channel has 6.6M subscribers. According to tech journalist Chris Stokel-Walker, Brand could make up to $1M per year from his YouTube videos.

The Metropolitan Police said on Monday that they had received a “report of sexual assault” in 2003 against Brand. His accuser alleges she was assaulted in Soho, London. 

Meanwhile, the BBC has announced it’s launched an investigation into Brand.

“We’ve reviewed that content and made a considered decision to remove some of it, having assessed that it now falls below public expectations,” a spokesperson said.

Brand rose to fame in the early 2000s as a stand-up comedian and a host of shows, before moving on to Hollywood.

The curious timing of Brand’s #MeToo claims as his star rises on the right has led to a robust defense of the Brit.

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