YouTube has suspended monetisation on Russell Brand's channel.
The video-sharing platform announced the move after they deemed the 48-year-old comedian had broken the platform's "Creator Responsibility policy", which comes after several sexual assault and rape allegations - which Russell denies - were made against him.
YouTube said: "We have suspended monetisation on Russell Brand’s channel for violating our Creator Responsibility policy.
"If a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms our users, employees or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community."
They added that the channel had been suspended from the YouTube Partner Programme "following serious allegations", and therefore Russell’s channel is "no longer able to monetise on YouTube".
It also extends to any other channels that are owned or operated by the star.
Their creator responsibility guideline states that "if a creator’s off-platform behaviour harms users, employees, or ecosystem, the platform may take action to protect its community, including by suspending monetisation.
“When a creator is suspended from the YouTube Partner Programme, they are prohibited from using a new or alternate channel to circumvent our enforcement decision.”
Four women accused the actor of rape, sexual assault and emotional and physical abuse between 2006 and 2013 as part of a joint investigation into the actor’s treatment of women by The Times and Sunday Times newspapers, as well as Channel 4’s ‘Dispatches’ programme.
A fifth accused him of abuse during their 2007 relationship in a memoir she published in 2014.
The Metropolitan Police said on Monday (18.09.23) that a woman had contacted them on Sunday (17.09.23) saying she was sexually assaulted by the entertainer in Soho, central London, in 2003.
Russell denies all the accusations against him and has said any relationships he has had "were absolutely always consensual".
