What's happened
Russell Brand appeals for subscribers on Rumble after being accused of sexual assault and demonetized on YouTube.
Why it matters
The story is significant as it involves a well-known comedian facing serious allegations and the subsequent impact on his online presence and income.
What the papers say
The Independent reports that Russell Brand has urged his followers to support him financially on Rumble after being demonetized on YouTube. The article highlights Brand's denial of the allegations and his claim of being censored. The Times and The Telegraph also cover the story, focusing on the investigation into the allegations and the response from Rumble, which rejects the demand to demonetize Brand's channel. The Mirror and NY Post provide similar coverage, with The Mirror mentioning the involvement of TikTok and the letter from Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Commons Culture Committee.
How we got here
Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013. The allegations surfaced after a joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times, and Channel 4's Dispatches. YouTube has demonetized Brand's channel, and the Metropolitan Police has opened an investigation into the allegations.
More on these topics
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Rumble is a Canadian online video platform headquartered in Toronto. It was founded in 2013 by Chris Pavlovski, a technology entrepreneur from Canada.
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A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.
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YouTube is an American online video-sharing platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. Three former PayPal employees—Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim—created the service in February 2005.
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The Metropolitan Police Service, formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police and informally as the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard, is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement in the Metropolitan Police District, which
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Caroline Julia Dinenage, Lady Lancaster of Kimbolton is a British Conservative Party politician who was elected as Member of Parliament for Gosport at the 2010 general election. She was re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019.