A lot has changed for Russell Brand in the last week. The British performer has been accused of multiple counts of sexual misconduct. Though Brand has denied the allegations, the claims are so severe that he’s received sharp blowback, including being demonetized on YouTube, where he has over six million subscribers. He’s still going strong at Rumble, the far right video service, but now they’re paying the price for their actions.
As per The Guardian, a number of companies have pulled ads from Rumble, the most prominent being Burger King and Hello Fresh. You may be thinking: Wait, Burger King and Hello Fresh advertised on a home for Don Jr. and other extremist conspiracy theorist wackos? Apparently! Other companies that no longer advertise on Rumble include the fashion and cosmetic retailer ASOS and the London residential complex the Barbican.
Brand has long had a home on Rumble, which purports to be a haven for free speech, i.e., a place where you can spread nonsense without any consequence. Once upon a time Brand was a fierce cheerleader for progressive values. He still is, to a point, but he’s also added anti-vaccine and other far right beliefs to his repertoire. Last year, after YouTube took down a video in which Brand spread misinformation — misinformation he himself admitted as wrong. He then claimed he was being censored, then declared he’d found a new, more welcoming home over in the MAGA land that is Rumble.
The allegations against Brand are largely from the days when he was at the height of his fame, during which he admitted he was “very, very promiscuous.” Some of the claims include that he raped a woman against a wall and that he took advantage of a woman when she was 16. On Friday Brand posted a video on Twitter/X and (yes) Rumble in which he claimed the government was trying to censor him.
(Via The Guardian)