Russell Brand speaks for first time amid sexual assault claims — and his choice of platform is revealing

Not for the first time this year, Russell Brand is yelling. 

In this case, it’s about UFOs, and his sermon is almost over.

Eyes fixed on the camera, trademark messy mop tumbling past his shoulders, the 48-year-old exclaims: “But that’s just what I think!”

“Let me know what you think in the comments below, share your material with us, it really helps us.”

Welcome to Brand’s YouTube channel, where clicks equal coin.

The internet already has plenty to offer people chasing conspiracy theories and wellness advice.

But in the years leading up to allegations of sexual assault made against him last weekend, Brand has carved out a space somewhere between the two, and his audience is growing.

When he decided to respond on Saturday to claims of sexual assault and emotional abuse made by four women, he chose to post a three-minute video online. 

He described the past week as “extraordinary and distressing” and thanked his followers for “questioning the information you are being presented with”. 

He also suggested, without evidence, that the UK government, tech companies and mainstream media outlets may be colluding to silence him.  

His video was posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, and Rumble, a video site popular among conservative commentators and conspiracy theorists. 

Notably, Brand did not post the video to YouTube, which blocked him this week from making money off the videos he posts there. 

Brand’s metamorphosis from mainstream Hollywood star to online conspiracy theorist has been years in the making.  

The Hollywood flicks and presenting gigs on which he built his fame are long gone. Now it’s about likes, comments, shares and subscriptions.

“He’s very sophisticated,” says Karen North, a professor of digital social media at the University of Southern California.

“In the request [for you to comment], that’s him demonstrating that he understands what’s going to get him not only more money, but also what’s going to get the algorithm to favour him.” 

In a video from two months ago questioning why the US government was sending cluster bombs to Ukraine, Brand breaks into his rant after seven minutes to start selling something.

He points out questions like “is AI going to destroy all mankind?” and “are we powerless to choose peace in the face of military industrial complex objectives?” can be exhausting.

“But thanks to Genucel Skincare, you can still look, and feel amazing,” Brand says, gesturing to a collection of lotions on the table in front of him.

It’s the sort of plug he’ll still be paid for, even after YouTube announced this week it had blocked Brand making money from the ads it places in his videos.

Brand has over 6.6 million subscribers on that platform.

Over on TikTok he’s got 2.3 million followers. On X (or Twitter) it’s 11.3 million. Instagram? 3.8 million.

A video he uploaded to Rumble last Friday on health secrets that changed his life has been viewed 330,000 times.

Another he posted later that day, denying claims of rape and sexual assault about to be made against him, got almost 500,000 views.

Comics ‘all knew’ about allegations

Brand’s social media accounts fell silent after descriptions of his allegedly predatory behaviour were published in British media.

The accusations date from a period when Brand was known for his stand-up and acting, appearing in mainstream movies, and working as a presenter for the BBC and Channel 4.

“Yeah, we all knew,” comedian and political activist Kate Smurthwaite told her YouTube followers this week, in reference to the allegations.

“In fact, if you are somebody who worked in comedy and you didn’t know about it, then you’re evidently someone people didn’t feel very comfortable discussing these kinds of things around.”

Smurthwaite, a veteran of two decades on stage, said journalists had “contacted every woman I know in comedy” to ask about men in the industry.

“One thing women in any industry do when they get together is talk about which guys should you avoid, and which guys you have had problems with,” she told the ABC this week.

“And, you know, there are various names that come up regularly and his is absolutely one of them.”

The story was years in the making. One of Brand’s accusers described his alleged behaviour as “an open secret” in the industry.

In a video uploaded last Friday, Brand said he had been “aware of news media making phone calls, sending letters to people I know for ages and ages”.

He questioned whether the “co-ordinated media attacks” meant there was “another agenda at play”.

“I’m aware that you guys have been saying in the comments for a while: ‘Watch out, Russell, they’re coming for you, you’re getting too close to the truth …”

By building his brand around distrust in mainstream media and institutional authority, Brand has created a loyal audience that can be reliably expected to question the allegations against him.

‘You have to be controversial’

Brand has cultivated his following across multiple platforms over years, and now has a seemingly bomb-proof suite of outlets in which to publish.

After YouTube decided to stop Brand making money from its advertising, Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the UK’s media committee, asked Rumble to do the same.

It said no.

“You don’t put all your eggs in one basket in this business,” says Dan Jackson, a professor of media and communication at Bournemouth University.

“While YouTube is where I expect he was best able to monetise his content, it’s not the only platform he’s on.

“If one platform cancels you, then you have other ways for people to reach your content.”

While Brand had been posting on social media for a long time, his audience skyrocketed when he began broadcasting conspiracy theories in 2021.

A video titled “The Power Of Comedy!” from three years ago has had 42,000 views on YouTube.

Meanwhile, one from 2022 called “Bill Gate’s INCREDIBLY AWKWARD Interview — Is He Hiding Something??” has been watched 2.2 million times.

“If you want to stand out on platforms like YouTube, you have to be controversial and it helps to be anti-establishment,” Professor Jackson says.

“I think that’s where he’s at, and it is rewarded in the algorithms. You’re not going to stand out if you’re just mainstream because you compete with established news brands.

“He’s a good example of that ecosystem.”

While video views are important, advertisers are increasingly prioritising subscribers — the people who are committed and regular visitors of your content.

“Advertisers don’t care if you did something outrageous and millions of people clicked once,” Professor North says.

“They want to know who are the people who are going to come back tomorrow.”

It’s something Brand is trying to do.

“Turn on the notification bell and subscribe right now,” he insists at the start of a video from two months ago.

“We need you on this voyage so that you watch our daily content, lest the algorithm direct you elsewhere.”

After that, arms flailing and adorned in costume jewellery, he begins another rant.