Russell Brand Speaks Out Amid Sexual Assault Allegations, Asks For 'Support' After Being Demonitized By YouTube

Russell Brand returned to social media after facing allegations of sexual assault by four women, including a 16-year-old. In a short video, the embattled comedian thanked his supporters for "questioning the information" they've been "presented with."

He also criticized the "trusted news initiative" and promoted his show on Rumble, a YouTube rival focused on free speech. Rumble has reportedly resisted pressure to demonetize Brand, emphasizing that the allegations were unrelated to their platform.

Russell Brand returned to Instagram after facing accusations of sexual assault against four women, including a 16-year-old. In a video, he thanked his supporters for questioning the allegations without directly addressing them.

"Hello there, you awakening wonders," he began. "Obviously, it's been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you have been presented with."

The "Get Him to the Greek" star then mentioned an alleged request by the British government to censor content, subtly linking it to how YouTube suspended monetization of his channel on its platform.

He said, "By now, you're probably aware that the British government has asked big tech platforms to censor our online content and that some online platforms have complied with that request."

Brand continued, "What you may not know is that this happens in the context of the online safety bill which is a piece of UK legislation that grants sweeping surveillance and censorship powers and it's a law that's already been passed."

He further criticized the "trusted news initiative," which he sees as targeting independent media like Instagram, adding, "The trusted news initiative is a collaboration between big tech and legacy media organizations to target, control, choke and shut down independent media organizations."

In his short message, Brand went on to encourage viewers to explore the recent ruling on his Rumble show, a YouTube rival focused on free speech.

According to a report, the UK government had urged Rumble to follow YouTube's lead in demonetizing Brand, but Rumble refused.

The company stated, "While Rumble obviously deplores sexual assault, rape, and all serious crimes, and believes that both the alleged victims and the accused are entitled to a full and serious investigation, it is vital to note that recent allegations against Russell Brand have nothing to do with content on Rumble's platform."

In a video posted on Instagram on September 15, Brand addressed criminal allegations against him. While the British comedian didn't specify the exact allegations, he vehemently denied them.

"I have received two extremely disturbing letters, or a letter and an email, one from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper, listing a litany of egregious and aggressive attacks," he stated. "Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute."

Brand hinted that the accusations might be related to past sexual misconduct, defending his "promiscuous" past. He said, "When I was in the movies and as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous."

The 48-year-old went on to emphasize that all his relationships during that time were consensual, adding, "During that time of promiscuity, the relationships that I had were absolutely always consensual."

Brand expressed concerns that his openness about his sexuality might have been "metastasized into something criminal." He questioned whether there was another agenda behind these allegations and suspected a "coordinated media attack." 

A day after Brand's Instagram post, The Sunday Times reported serious allegations against him. A woman, identified as "Nadia," accused Brand of raping her in his Los Angeles home in 2012.

According to Nadia, they initially had consensual sex after meeting at a party. However, when they met again in July 2012, she alleged that Brand raped her against a wall without a condom, despite her repeated pleas for him to "get off."

Text messages from Brand's verified number at the time appeared to corroborate the encounter as he allegedly texted her that same morning at 3.29 a.m., writing, "I'm sorry, that was crazy and selfish."

This allegation was among several revealed by the news outlet prior to Channel 4's "Dispatches" investigation, titled "Russell Brand: In Plain Sight: Dispatches."