Russell Brand social media accounts disabled by Meta after rape conviction

Meta has disabled Russell Brand's Facebook and Instagram accounts following his conviction and sentencing for rape and sexual assault, while his X account remains active and posted a message thanking Elon Musk.

Conviction and sentencing

The 51-year-old British actor and comedian was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on Monday after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The offences involved four women and took place between 2004 and 2009. Brand is currently in prison at HMP Wandsworth and is expected to serve seven years behind bars before being released on licence.

Judge Mr Justice Bennathan described Brand as a "predator" and praised the women who came forward to speak out against him.

Meta disables accounts

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, has disabled Brand's accounts on both platforms. The company's community standards policy states that it restricts or removes accounts considered "harmful to the community", including accounts belonging to convicted sex offenders.

Brand's X account reshared an email from Meta confirming the deactivation of his Instagram account. The email read: "We disabled your account. You no longer have access to russellbrand. Your account, or activity on it, doesn't follow our Community Standards. No one can see or find your account, and you can't use it. All your information will be permanently deleted." The email also confirmed Brand would not be able to "request another review of this decision" but could download information he had previously shared.

Message on X references Elon Musk

On Thursday evening, two days after Brand was sent to HMP Wandsworth, his X account posted: "There never was a Russell Brand, according to Meta. Thank God for Elon Musk. Stay tuned." The post included what appeared to be screenshots showing that Brand's Instagram account had been disabled.

X owner Elon Musk has long been a supporter of Brand. Prior to sentencing on Monday, Musk shared a graphic of Brand alongside another rapist with quotation marks around the comedian's convictions, suggesting he was facing "potential life in jail". Musk has continued to be supportive of Brand since the allegations first emerged in 2023, writing at the time: "I support Russell Brand. That man is not evil."

Previous restrictions and political reaction

The latest action follows previous restrictions on Brand's online activity. In 2023, YouTube suspended his channels from earning advertising revenue after a joint investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches, The Times and The Sunday Times in a documentary titled "Russell Brand: In Plain Sight" highlighted serious allegations against him from five women, ranging from rape and sexual assault to emotionally abusive behaviour. YouTube said the decision was made for "violating" its "creator responsibility policy" and that it was acting "to protect" users. Brand denied the allegations at the time.

In the weeks and months leading up to his trial, Brand used his social media channels to protest his innocence and to build an audience as a political commentator, wellness influencer and spiritual podcaster, presenting himself as a reformed Christian and hosting "Sunday Service with the Brands" with his wife Laura.

Following the sentencing on Tuesday, politicians responded to the case. Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell told women to "come forward", saying they will be believed. Scotland's First Minister John Swinney said Brand's actions have brought a "sharp focus" on the "violence and sexual abuse women experience every single day" and highlights how "misogynistic attitudes" still prevail, vowing to "tackle this scourge" of violence against women and "to protect women and girls in Scotland".