YouTube Demonetizes Russell Brand’s Channel Amid Sexual Abuse Allegations

YouTube has stopped making payments to Russell Brand’s channel on the site for breaking its creator rules, following several reports alleging sexual abuse by the British celebrity.

“We have suspended monetization on Russell Brand’s channel for violating our Creator Responsibility policy,” a spokesperson for Alphabet Inc.-owned YouTube said on Tuesday. “If a creator’s off-platform behavior harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community.”

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On Saturday, the Times, the Sunday Times, and Channel 4 reported that Brand has been accused of sexual assault and emotional abuse by several women between 2006 and 2013. Brand posted a video to his 6.6 million YouTube followers calling the reports “a coordinated attack” and said they contained “very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.”

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Representatives for Brand didn’t respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that following the weekend stories in the Sunday Times and Channel 4, it received a report of sexual assault alleged to have taken place in the capital in 2003.

Brand came to prominence as a comedian and host on British television and later starred in several Hollywood movies. He has built a large online following for his commentary on social and political issues.

Some of his recent videos have included an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, critiques of coronavirus lockdowns, and a report of a UFO sighting.