Russell Brand's X account, which remains active despite his imprisonment, has posted a message directed at Elon Musk following the convicted rapist's sentencing. The post, shared two days after Brand was sent to HMP Wandsworth, read: "There never was a Russell Brand, according to Meta. Thank God for Elon Musk." The message concluded with "Stay tuned," hinting at further posts.
Meta Deletes Brand's Accounts
Brand, found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on Monday. Following the sentencing, Meta deleted his Instagram and Facebook accounts, which had over 5 million and 6.2 million followers respectively. His X account, which has 10 million followers, remains active.
The account also reshared an email from Meta explaining the deletion: "We disabled your account. You no longer have access to russellbrand." The email continued, "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." It also stated that Brand would not be able to "request another review of this decision" but could download previously shared information.
Musk's Continued Support
Elon Musk has long supported Brand, which may explain why his X profile remains active. Before sentencing, Musk shared a graphic of Brand alongside another rapist, with quotation marks around Brand's convictions, suggesting he faced "potential life in jail" despite the UK maximum sentence for rape being 10 to 15 years. Musk wrote above the graphic: "Unjust."
In 2023, a joint investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches, The Times, and The Sunday Times, titled 'Russell Brand: In Plain Sight,' highlighted allegations from five women, ranging from rape and sexual assault to emotionally abusive behaviour. Brand denied the allegations at the time, and Musk defended him, writing: "I support Russell Brand. That man is not evil."
Sentencing and Reactions
On Monday, Judge Mr Justice Bennathan described Brand as a "predator" and praised the women who came forward. He sentenced Brand to 10 years and six months in jail.
Following the sentencing, politicians including Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell and Scotland's first minister John Swinney commented on the case. Powell told women to "come forward," saying they will be believed. Swinney said Brand's actions have brought a "sharp focus" on the "violence and sexual abuse women experience every single day" and highlight how "misogynistic attitudes" still prevail. He vowed to "tackle this scourge" of violence against women and "to protect women and girls in Scotland."
