Russell Brand, the British comedian recently convicted of rape and sexual assault, announced on X that his Instagram account has been removed by Meta. On Wednesday, Brand shared a screenshot indicating that Meta disabled his account due to violations of their community standards, stating, "We disabled your account. Our technology found your account, or your activity on it, doesn’t follow our rules." Despite this, Brand's X account remains active, boasting over 10 million followers, where he expressed his disbelief at the removal, writing, "There never was a Russell Brand, according to @Meta. Thank God for @elonmusk. Stay tuned,".

Last Monday, Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. The jury's decision came after a trial that saw Brand maintain his innocence against seven charges, of which he was found not guilty on two counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. The allegations against him stemmed from incidents reported by multiple women, which occurred between 2006 and 2013, leading to his initial charges in April 2025 and further charges in December 2025.S1S2

Judge Joel Bennathan, during sentencing, remarked on Brand's transformation from a rising star to a sexual predator, highlighting the gravity of his offenses. The judge noted that Brand's past behavior, once dismissed as outrageous but typical of celebrity culture, was indeed criminal. Following the conviction, London's Metropolitan Police announced that Brand is under investigation for additional allegations of rape from two other women, suggesting that the legal troubles for the comedian may not be over yet.S2