Russell Brand, who is days into a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence for rape and sexual assault, has posted a cryptic message on his X account after Meta disabled his Instagram profile.
The 51-year-old entertainer was jailed on Monday after being found guilty of raping a fan in 2009 and sexually assaulting three female TV and radio workers in 2004, 2005 and 2009. He is now serving the prison term handed down at Southwark Crown Court.
Judge's remarks at sentencing
Mr Justice Bennathan criticised Brand's "staggering arrogance" during sentencing on Monday, November 9. The judge said: "About 20 years ago Russell Brand, you were becoming famous, you were clever, and in many people's eyes you were funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator."
He added that Brand harboured a "casual arrogant disregard to any woman's right to say no to you", and that his fame meant he believed "you could act when you liked and how you liked". Brand showed no emotion as the sentence was passed and told his wife Laura Gallacher "we'll be okay" as he was led away.
Message on X after Instagram removal
As Brand settled into jail on Wednesday evening, a post appeared on his X account featuring screenshots from Instagram confirming his account on the photo-sharing platform had been disabled. The post read: "There never was a Russell Brand, according to Meta. Thank God for [X owner] Elon Musk. Stay tuned."
It was the first post on the account, which usually shares clips of his podcast discussing conspiracy theories and interpretations of the Bible, since the jury found him guilty.
Further investigations
Following the sentencing, the Met Police said it has more active investigations open into the comedian and is prepared for more victims to come forward. A woman in the US is also reportedly set to make allegations against Brand.
