YouTube has stopped Russell Brand’s channels earning advertising income, in a major blow to the comedian and self-styled health guru who has been accused of rape and sexual assaults of multiple women between 2006 and 2013. The video-sharing platform said that Brand violated its “creator responsibility policy” and that it was taking action “to protect” its users. The 48 year-old regularly posts factually inaccurate videos about Covid conspiracies and characterises the West’s support for Ukraine as capitalist imperialism to more than six million YouTube subscribers. His video denying the allegations has been watched 1.6 million times on YouTube alone. Experts reckon the ban will likely cost him anywhere from £2,000 to 4,000 per video, not including any sponsorship deals.
