Russell Brand's Instagram account has been removed by Meta following his conviction for rape and sexual assault, yet his X account remains active, with an unidentified person posting a response to the ban that ends with 'Stay tuned.'
The former presenter, 51, had his profile, which had around five million followers, disabled by Meta days after he was jailed at Southwark Crown Court in London on Monday, November 9. Brand was convicted of raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others between 2004 and 2009, with the social media company confirming that his account had breached its policies.
Message Posted on X Account
His X profile, however, remains active, and an unidentified person has posted a response to the ban. The message, posted on Brand's X account late on Wednesday night, read: 'There never was a Russell Brand, according to @Meta. Thank God for @elonmusk.' It then added: 'Stay tuned.'
Screenshots accompanying the post showed notifications from Meta informing the account holder that the Instagram profile had been disabled for going against the platform's community standards. The person responsible for publishing the message has not been identified, and there is no confirmation Brand personally authorised it from prison.
Meta's Policy and X's Response
A Meta spokesperson confirmed the removal to TMZ, saying the account 'violates our policies'. According to the US outlet, the decision was made under Meta's Account Integrity policy specifically, which allows the company to restrict or disable accounts that 'engage in off-platform activity that can lead to harm'. The policy states that this includes provisions relating to accounts belonging to convicted sex offenders.
Brand's X account, which has more than 10 million followers, remained accessible after the Instagram removal. The platform is owned by Elon Musk, 55, who has previously publicly supported the comedian.
Conviction and Sentencing
The Instagram decision follows Brand's conviction on November 5 after a four-week trial involving allegations made by several women about incidents during the height of his entertainment career. The jury found him guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two further rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
At his sentencing hearing, Mr Justice Joel Bennathan addressed Brand directly about his behaviour during the period when he was becoming a prominent television and radio personality. The judge said: 'About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous. You were clever – and in many people's eyes, funny and charismatic.' He then added: 'You had also become a sexual predator.'
Brand was found guilty of raping a 21-year-old fan after meeting her at a 2009 stand-up show at the Hammersmith Apollo, while his other convictions saw him found guilty of kissing and groping a Capital Radio worker in a corridor in 2005, groping an MTV worker during a party at a Soho bar in 2004 and sexually assaulting a Channel 4 worker in 2009 after she was forced to give him a massage. Brand denied the charges throughout the proceedings and maintained his sexual encounters had been consensual.
Further Allegations and Investigation
It was later revealed that in the course of the trial he has been additionally accused of raping two more women, including a 16-year-old girl, and could face further criminal charges in the future. Presenter and former glamour model Kelly Brook has also since revealed that several of her close friends were allegedly attacked by Brand, claiming she had warned young women to stay away from the comedian long before his conviction for rape and sexual assault.
The former Big Brother's Big Mouth presenter, who rose to prominence through his provocative stand-up performances and TV appearances before establishing a Hollywood career with films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and a radio career with the BBC, had moved away from mainstream entertainment in recent years. He developed a large online following through videos discussing politics, religion and conspiracy theories, subsequently embracing Christianity and appearing in court carrying a Bible during his trial.
His conviction has also prompted renewed attention to further allegations being investigated by the Metropolitan Police. Detectives have confirmed Brand remains under investigation over two additional allegations of rape, including one involving a complainant who was 16 at the time of the alleged incident. Those allegations have not resulted in convictions, and prosecutors are assessing information gathered during the continuing investigation. Police have also said additional people contacted officers during and after the trial, either providing information or reporting potential criminal offences.
