YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income

September 20, 2023: YouTube suspends Russell Brand from advert income. This suspension means that advertisements will not play alongside his videos, typically generating revenue based on view counts.

Russell Brand’s channels, including his main one with 6.61 million subscribers, have been suspended from the YouTube Partner Program because of “serious allegations against the creator.” His other smaller channels, such as “Football is Nice,” “awakening with Russell,” and “Stay Free with Russell Brand,” are also affected.

Brand has denied all allegations and insists that all his relationships during the alleged assaults were consensual.

YouTube cited its “Creator Responsibility policy” as the reason for the demonetization, stating that if a creator’s off-platform behavior negatively affects users, employees, or the ecosystem, they take action.

While demonetized, creators can still earn money through sponsorship deals with external parties.

This move by YouTube follows previous applications of the policy, including suspending advertisements from the channels of influencers David Dobrik and James Charles.

Russell Brand has a significant presence on social media platforms, including 3.8 million subscribers on Instagram, 11.2 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), and 1.4 million followers on Rumble.

The allegations against Brand were made public in a joint investigation by the U.K.’s Channel 4 and the Sunday Times, which included accounts from four women accusing him of misconduct, including sexual assault.

London’s Metropolitan Police has acknowledged the allegations and received a report of sexual assault that allegedly occurred in 2003 in central London’s Soho district.