Youtube halts monetisation on Russell Brand’s channel
Youtube has suspended monetisation on Russell Brand’s channel for “violating” its creator responsibility policy, following sexual assault allegations against the comedian.
Over the weekend a joint investigation by the Times, the Sunday Times and Channel 4 levelled accusations at Brand, which include accounts of rape, sexual assaults, and abuse spanning several years.
The criminal allegations, which Brand strongly refutes, have prompted calls for police involvement and raise questions about a culture of power exploitation in the television sector.
A spokesperson for YouTube said: “We have suspended monetisation on Russell Brand’s channel for violating our creator responsibility policy.
“If a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community.”
Industry experts estimate Brand likely makes up to £4,000 per video — an amount which could hit more than £1m a year with five videos a week.
Over recent years, the entertainer has built up a strong Youtube following of more than 6m subscribers. He makes content about politics and conspiracy theories, including UFOs.
On Monday, his Pan Macmillan publisher, Bluebird, announced it was pulling all future book projects.