Russell Brand posted on X on Wednesday that his Instagram account was removed by Meta following his rape conviction in London last week, Variety reported.
The British comedian was sentenced on Monday to 10 years and six months in prison after a jury convicted him of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, according to CBC. Following the verdict, Meta disabled his Instagram profile for violating its community standards and policies, a spokesperson confirmed to Variety.
Brand’s X page, which has 10 million followers, remains active. He posted a screenshot of the Meta notification and wrote on X, “There never was a Russell Brand, according to @Meta. Thank God for @elonmusk. Stay tuned.”
Judge Joel Bennathan sentenced Brand at London’s Southwark Crown Court on Monday to nine years in prison for the rape and 35 months for three sexual assaults, with those sentences to run concurrently, CBC reported. The judge said that Brand would be required to serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody before release on licence with strict conditions.
Opening his sentencing remarks, Bennathan said that about 20 years ago Brand was becoming famous, clever, and charismatic, but had also become a sexual predator, Variety reported. Prosecutors read a statement from a victim whom Brand anally raped in 2009, stating that the trauma was something she carried every day because his fame, wealth, and influence created a power imbalance that made her feel powerless, CBC reported.
“No doubt your companions thought it was outrageous laddish behavior that only you could get away with: It was outrageous and possibly laddish, but also a criminal sexual offense, and as it turns out you haven't got away with it,” Judge Joel Bennathan noted, according to CBC.
London’s Metropolitan Police said that Brand is being investigated on further allegations of rape from two other women, Variety reported. Thames Valley Police also confirmed they helped Jemima Goldsmith remove Brand from her property in Oxfordshire on July 25, 2014, after she reported a violent incident, bbc.com reported.
Goldsmith wrote on X on Monday that she had personal experience of his violence, coercive control, and abuse, adding that she chose not to press charges at the time to protect her children, bbc.com reported. Brand was accused of sexual misconduct multiple times before being charged in 2025, and YouTube suspended monetization of his channel in 2023, Variety reported.
Meta disabled the account because Brand’s profile and activity went against community standards and violated platform policies, a Meta spokesperson confirmed to Variety.
Brand received a total sentence of 10 years and six months on Monday, comprising nine years for rape and 35 months for three sexual assaults to run concurrently, CBC reported.
Yes, his X page with 10 million followers remains active, where he posted about the Instagram ban on Wednesday, Variety reported.
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