YouTube blocks Russell Brand from receiving ad income from his channel

YouTube has stopped Russell Brand from receiving advertising income from his channel following claims of serious sexual misconduct against him.

The video-sharing company said it had suspended Brand’s channel from its YouTube Partner Programme “following serious allegations against the creator”.

In a joint investigation by Channel 4’s Dispatches and The Sunday Times, several women claimed they were sexually assaulted or raped by Brand between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame. He has denied all the allegations and said his relationships were consensual.

While Brand has fallen out of the mainstream spotlight in recent years, he has amassed a following on social media, including 6.61 million subscribers on YouTube.

A YouTube spokesperson 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.” 

The decision means Brand cannot use new or alternative channels to circumvent the suspension.