YouTube CEO Neal Mohan explained the decision to demonetize Russell Brand’s channel in light of the multiple allegations made against the comedian for sexual assault and emotional abuse.
“If creators have off-platform behavior, or there’s off-platform news that could be damaging to the broader creator ecosystem, you can be suspended from our monetization program,” Mohan told “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil. “It’s impacted a number of creators and personalities on the platform in the past. And that’s what played out in this particular case around the serious allegations.”
Mohan became CEO of YouTube earlier this year, and further discussed the creator responsibility guidelines policy when Dokoupil asked how YouTube makes its decisions to demonitize when no charges have yet been filed, nor have any legal decisions been made related to the allegations against Brand. YouTube has taken ads off his videos, thereby no longer allowing him to make money off of its platform.
“We endeavor to apply those rules, equally across our entire creator ecosystem,” Mohan said. “Not playing favorites, having them apply to the content, the behavior, as opposed to who the person is.”
On Saturday, four anonymous women accused Brand of sexually assaulting them between 2006 and 2013. One of the women was 16 at the time of the alleged incident, the age of consent in Britain. Brand has denied all allegations against him.
Brand has taken other hits in the wake of the accusations. His talent agency, Tavistock Wood, dropped him, though it was later revealed that a report was made to the agency from an accuser in 2020. In the days since, Brand’s book deal has been paused and his live shows postponed. Paramount+ removed his stand-up special, “Russell Brand in New York” Wednesday in response to the claims.
Channel 4 has launched an internal investigation into Brand’s behavior following the report of the allegations from Channel 4, The Times and The Sunday Times.