Russell Brand's Instagram account has been disabled by Meta, yet posts continue to appear on his X account while he serves a prison sentence for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
On Wednesday, 11th November, the comedian's verified account, @rustyrockets, took a swipe at Meta and shared images depicting his Instagram account being deactivated.
Cryptic Message on X
"There never was a Russell Brand, according to @Meta. Thank God for @elonmusk. Stay tuned," the post read. It remained unclear who had authored the message or was managing the account while Brand, 51, was in custody.
Meta confirmed to TMZ that Brand's Instagram account had been removed as it "violates our policies." That policy permits Meta to restrict or disable accounts belonging to individuals who "engage in off-platform activity that can lead to harm." Convicted sex offenders are amongst those covered by the rule.
Facebook Page Also Suspended
The X post displayed Brand's Facebook page alongside a notice confirming the Facebook page had been suspended. The X account remained active following the Meta suspensions, conveying the message to Brand's followers.
The account ban came after Brand was sentenced on Monday, 9th November, in London to 10 years and six months in prison, according to the BBC. A jury found him guilty on 5th November of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault following a four-week trial. Brand pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing.
Public Reactions and Police Statement
Donald Trump Jr. came to Brand's defence on Tuesday's episode of his Triggered programme, implying the comedian had been targeted owing to his adoption of religion and right-leaning politics.
He said: "When he was like married to Katy Perry, he's one of the most famous actors in the world, no one seemed to have a problem. No one seemed to think he was a rapist then. But he finds God, I guess, changes his ways, sees some aspects of conservative life and talks about them."
"And now he's going to spend ... years in prison for rape when no one had a problem with it in the prior 27 years," Trump continued.
Police commended the women who came forward to report Brand following the verdict. Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy described the outcome as "first and foremost a testament to the extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women who came forward and reported what happened to them."
"Despite intense media and public scrutiny, they relived deeply personal and traumatic experiences and placed their trust in us," he said. "Without their bravery, this outcome would not have been possible."
