Meta removes Russell Brand’s accounts after conviction
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen Digital
Meta has deactivated British actor Russell Brand’s Instagram and Facebook accounts after his conviction for rape and sexual assaults. The removal came a few days after his conviction and followed a violation of the platforms’ rules, according to a Meta spokesperson cited by TMZ.
Meta has deactivated the official accounts of British actor and comedian Russell Brand on Instagram and Facebook after his conviction for rape and sexual assaults. The US group confirmed the removal of the accounts, citing a violation of its rules, according to a statement by a Meta spokesperson to TMZ.
Russell Brand’s X account, which has more than 10 million followers, remains active. Brand posted screenshots of the suspension notifications received on Instagram and Facebook, accompanied by a message challenging Meta’s decision.
A jury at London’s Southwark Crown Court found Russell Brand guilty on 5 November of one count of rape and three sexual assaults involving four women, for offences committed between 2004 and 2009. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted sexual assault. On 9 November, Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced him to ten years and six months in prison and he was remanded in custody, according to Citizen Digital.
The legal proceedings followed an investigation published in September 2023 by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4, which led to an 18-month police investigation. YouTube subsequently removed monetisation from Russell Brand’s channel, according to Citizen Digital.
