Russell Brand

[[File:Russell Brand Topless London Revolution Protest (16113119550).jpg|right|thumb|165px|Rated #1 by Tarzan Impersonators magazine!]]
{{cquote|.@katyperry Katy, what the hell were you thinking when you married loser Russell Brand. There is a guy who has got nothing going, a waste!|||[[Donald Trump]]<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20200827045942/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/522897870891261952</ref>}}

{{conspiracynav}}
'''Russell Brand''' {{lived|1975}} is a washed-up English celebrity, [[crank]], "anti-establishment" grifter, [[conspiracy theorist]] and general [[bullshit]] peddler who has worked as a comedian, actor and radio host. Or, as he would refer to it; [[clickbait|"THE MEDIA doesn't want YOU to hear about MY CHANNEL (GREAT AWAKENING???)"]] He currently runs ''massive'' [https://www.youtube.com/user/russellbrand YouTube] and Rumble channels, which he primarily uses to efficiently and readily spread his {{Strikethrough|[[cult]]}} beliefs.

Although once deeply involved with left-wing populism (such as speaking out against economic inequality and [[capitalism]]) at the peak of his career in the early 2010s, Brand has since been increasingly aligned with conspiracism and far-right extremism as his relevancy (as well as his reputation) began to fade away.

To say that Russell Brand is an annoying and contemptable hack would be an understatement. Almost all of his videos boil down to vague conspiracy gesturing, [[clickbait]], [[woo|woo peddling]], [[spirituality|gestures to spiritualism]], [[wake up|"Free thinking",]] and so on. He made most of his modern following after falsely claiming [[ivermectin]] treated COVID. (Which he still does to this day, by the way.)<ref>
[https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2022/no-the-national-institutes-of-health-didnt-add-ivermectin-to-list-of-approved-treatments-for-covid-19/ No, the National Institutes of Health didn’t add ivermectin to list of approved treatments for COVID-19]</ref> He has also [[just asking questions|"questioned"]] COVID vaccines and spread doubt about their effectiveness.<ref>[https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/sep/13/ask-politifact-why-were-recent-covid-19-boosters-a/ Ask PolitiFact: Why were the recent COVID-19 boosters authorized before human trials were completed?]</ref>
He has also associated with the likes of [[Vandana Shiva]]<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJzbdcHQ4-A</ref>, [[Jordan Peterson]]<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E26ztUXkaE</ref>, [[Joe Rogan]]<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brDeQryPv1E</ref>, and [[Jimmy Dore]].<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEjs_LO9cJo</ref>

Basically, if you can think of any prominent online [[charlatan|quack]], [[moonbat]], [[wingnut]], [[crank]], [[woo|woo peddler]], [[spirituality|spiritualist]] or otherwise, Russell Brand is probably buddy-buddy with them. As a result, he is one of the greatest examples of [[crank magnetism]] currently available online. The near-6 million subscriber count speaks for itself.

==His lifey wifey==
===Brand spanking new: early life and education===
Born in Grays, Essex, to Barbara Elizabeth (née Nichols) and photographer Ronald Henry Brand,<ref name=Sturcke>James Sturcke, [https://www.theguardian.com/media/2008/oct/29/russell-brand-bbc Russell Brand: profile], 29 Oct 2008, ''The Guardian''</ref><ref name=McIntosh>Steven McIntosh, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-66822781 Who is Russell Brand? His journey from Hollywood star to conspiracy theory videos], 17 September 2023, ''BBC News''</ref> Brand was raised by his mother following his parents' separation when he was six months old.

Accepted into the {{wpl|Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts}} with his first year funded by Essex County Council,<ref name=Sturcke /> Brand was expelled at the end of that year due to drug use and poor attendance.

Beginning his entertainment career as a stand-up comedian in 2000, performing at venues like the Hackney Empire and the Edinburgh Fringe,<ref name=McIntosh /> Brand's material often reflected his personal experiences, including his struggles with drug use and sex addiction. He also hosted radio shows on XFM and BBC 6 Music while touring with his stand-up comedy, gradually building a fan base.

Early publicity stunts included turning up to work at MTV dressed as Osama bin Laden the day after the September 11 terrorist attacks<ref name=Sturcke /><ref name=McIntosh /> and reading pornographic material live on air during his Sunday afternoon Xfm radio show,<ref name=Sturcke /> both of which saw him fired from those respective gigs.

===Brand launch: early fame and fortune===
His big break came in 2004 when he began presenting ''Big Brother's Big Mouth'', the E4 companion show to ''Big Brother''.<ref name=Sturcke /><ref name=McIntosh /> Over three years, his charisma, fast-paced humour, and distinctive gothic style made him stand out, earning both fans and critics. Though polarising, his bold personality and unique presence boosted his cultural visibility and cemented his place in the public eye. Reflecting on the role, Brand later thanked the producers for "taking the risk of employing an ex-junkie twerp."

Landing numerous high-profile presenting gigs, winning Time Out’s 2006 Best Stand-Up Comedian, publishing a 2007 autobiography titled ''My Booky Wook'', and landing his first major film role in ''St Trinian's'' (2007), Brand quickly became a prominent figure in British entertainment.<ref name=Sturcke /><ref name=McIntosh /> However, hosting a BBC Radio 2 Saturday evening show, at a time most of his fanbase were down the pub, and his own E4 debate series, which was more talked about than watched, meant that much of this success was found online through his website, social media, YouTube and podcasts.

Presenting the 2006 NME Awards he clashed with {{wpl|Bob Geldof||,}} quipping, “It’s no wonder Bob Geldof knows so much about famine – he’s been dining out on ''I Don’t Like Mondays'' for 30 years.” That same year, he had a public spat with {{wpl|Rod Stewart}} at the GQ Men of the Year Awards after falsely claiming to have slept with Stewart’s daughter Kimberly, a claim he retracted after being confronted on stage. He also brushed with the law, making a hoax call to police claiming during a performance in Northampton; police did not press charges.<ref name=Sturcke />

Hosting the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards,<ref name=Sturcke /><ref name=McIntosh /> Brand also achieved notoriety in the US by referring to then-president {{wpl|George W. Bush}} as "that retard and cowboy fella," and adding that he "wouldn't be trusted with scissors" in the UK.

===Brand damage: Sachsgate===
'''Sachsgate''' was a 2008 controversy involving a prank call made by Russell Brand and guest {{wpl|Jonathan Ross}} on Brand's BBC Radio 2 evening show.<ref name=McIntosh /> The two pranksters broadcast offensive messages they had left on the voicemail of actor {{wpl|Andrew Sachs||,}} including that Brand had slept with Sachs' granddaughter, {{wpl|Georgina Baillie||.}} Reporting of the broadcast in the ''Mail on Sunday'' sparked public outrage, with over 40,000 complaints registered, the {{wpl|BBC Trust}} ruling it "grossly offensive," and {{wpl|Ofcom}} issuing a £150,000 fine. Ross was suspended for three months, whilst Radio 2 controller {{wpl|Lesley Douglas}} and Brand both resigned.

===Brand awareness: international stardom and a step to the left===
Brand found international fame appearing in a series Hollywood productions including ''Forgetting Sarah Marshall'' (2008), ''Arthur'' (2011) and ''Rock of Ages'' (2012). While filming ''Get Him to the Greek'' (2010), he met pop star Katy Perry; they married in a Hindu ceremony in India but divorced two years later.

During this time Brand also started to become more politically active, co-signing open letters condemning Israel's actions in Gaza<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/letters/letters-carnage-in-gaza-1242494.html Letters: Carnage in Gaza], 9 January 2009, ''The Independent''</ref> and supporting Baháʼí leaders on trial in Iran,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110814134123/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article5804284.ece Stand up for Iran’s Baha’is], 26 February 2009, ''The Times''</ref> and taking part in the 2009 G-20 summit protests in London.

Testifying before a 2012 Home Affairs select committee about drug addiction, Brand shared his personal experience and advocated for decriminalisation; he argued that criminalisation sends the wrong message and does not deter addicts. This testimony, which involved so much "banter" one MP had to remind Brand that the session was "not a variety show", was featured in Brand's BBC Three documentary ''Russell Brand: From Addiction to Recovery''.

Brand was interviewed by {{wpl|Jeremy Paxman}} on BBC's ''{{wpl|Newsnight}}'' as part of the promotion for a 2013 issue of the left-leaning current affairs magazine the ''{{wpl|New Statesman}}'' he had guest edited.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20170809091429/http://www.newlistener.co.uk/home/russell-brand-with-jeremy-paxman-on-newsnight/</ref> During the interview he stated that he had never voted, and that he discouraged others in the UK from doing so, believing it to be ineffective. He instead advocated for a socialist, egalitarian system with wealth redistribution, corporate accountability, and a radical rethinking of profit and power.

Clashing with [[Nigel Farage]] on a 2014 panel for BBC debate show ''{{wpl|Question Time (TV programme)|Question Time|,}}''<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2014/dec/11/russell-brand-vs-nigel-farage-on-question-time-live</ref> Brand criticized Farage for scapegoating immigrants and deflecting blame for economic hardships away from the wealthy interests that fund him. Brand further warned against treating Farage as a colourful character akin to {{wpl|Del Boy}} or {{wpl|Arthur Daley||,}} calling him "a pound shop [[Enoch Powell]]." Brand also rejected calls to stand for parliament, stating, "I would be scared that I would become one of them."

===Going off Brand: a jump to the right===
[[File:RFKjrLizard.jpeg|right|thumb|165px|The northern curly-tailed lizard is the only non-venomous reptile in this pic.]]
Posting for over a decade on a range of topics, including politics, celebrity, and relationships, Brand had built up a moderate following on YouTube with his videos normally receiving about 100,000 views each.<ref name=Schraer>Rachel Schraer, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66842630 Russell Brand: How the comedian built his YouTube audience on half-truths], 21 September 2023, ''BBC News''</ref> A 2021 video on [[The Great Reset]], however, gained over a million views, despite his initially distancing himself from conspiracy theories, stating he didn’t believe in “shady global cabals.” Following this response, Brand released more provocative titled videos “The Great Reset is HAPPENING” and “NOT a conspiracy!” drawing in more than three million views. 

Shifting his focus from broader topics like politics, celebrity, and relationships to more controversial themes such as Covid, vaccines, distrust in institutions, and later the Ukraine war, his video titles began using words like “lie,” “hid,” and “exposed.”<ref name=Schraer /> New videos featuring US alt-right figures like [[Tucker Carlson]] easily outperformed earlier celebrity interviews, such as those with {{wpl|Emma Watson}} or {{wpl|Jameela Jamil||.}} After one of his Covid videos was removed for violating misinformation rules, Brand launched a daily live show called ''Stay Free with Russell Brand'' on Rumble.<ref name=McIntosh /> This pivot saw a rapid increase in both his audience and his revenue (with Social Blade estimating an income of up to £4,000 per video).

Social psychologist Dr. Carol Jasper claims Brand’s rise as an influencer was driven by his followers, whose engagement likely encouraged and emboldened him to continue, while financial gain was a likely additional motivation.<ref name=Schraer /> Brand often avoids fully endorsing conspiracy theories, she notes, instead presenting “nuggets of truth” framed as being explained in ways that are not verifiable by “global, controlling, usually nefarious cabals who are intent on harm.” This lack of specifics, she concludes, invites viewers to fill in the blanks themselves, making his content more broadly appealing.

Joe Ondrak, head of investigations at disinformation-tracking company {{wpl|Logically (company)|Logically|,}} agrees Brand avoids explicitly promoting conspiracy theories but by hinting at connections without stating them outright, and encouraging viewers to draw their own conclusions, he provides audiences with "the ingredients to make the disinformation themselves."<ref name=Schraer /> Brand, Ondrak notes, increases his popularity while avoiding direct accountability by engaging with already-viral stories and shifting between narratives without committing to specific claims that could get him into trouble.

===Brand slut: rape, indecent and sexual assault allegations and Christian "conversion"===
[[File:BrandBaptism.jpg|right|thumb|165px|Brand calls in Bear Grylls to save him from the shit.]]
A regular in tabloid gossip columns during his rise to fame from 1999 to 2005, Brand, who had been named "shagger of the year" by the Sun, admitted to being promiscuous, sex obsessed, and struggling to maintain relationships at this time.<ref name=Sturcke /> 

Reporting in 2023 by ''The Sunday Times'' and Channel 4’s ''Dispatches'', however, made the more serious allegations that during this period Brand had committed rape in Bournemouth in 1999, indecent assault in Westminster in 2001, oral rape and sexual assault in Westminster in 2004 and sexual assault in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.<ref name=metpolice>[https://news.met.police.uk/news/russell-brand-charged-by-the-metropolitan-police-service-495944 Russell Brand charged by the Metropolitan Police Service], 4 April 2025, ''Metropolitan Police''</ref> YouTube suspended his earnings from his videos,<ref>https://apnews.com/article/russell-brand-youtube-sex-assault-ecf7aeecb3b66a02a4f3eb74282dc1c8</ref> while his new fan base immediately rallied to his defence, with Dr Jasper describing it as a ready-made following primed to say that he was being targeted for "telling the truth".<ref name=Schraer />

After years of dabbling in [[New Age]] spirituality and eastern religions, Brand conveniently "discovered" Christian salvation after the allegations; he released a video saying he felt “incredibly blessed” and “nourished” after being baptized into the faith in a private ceremony "at home and in the {{wpl|River Thames||."}}<ref>Kieran Gair, [https://archive.ph/GGInA Russell Brand baptised in Thames] 29 April 2024, ''The Times''</ref> The mystery surrounding which church would have conducted such a service<ref>Tom Leonard and Rebecca Camber, [https://archive.ph/nZNpr Russell Brand says he's been baptised in the Thames. But why will no church admit doing it?] 3 May 2024, ''Daily Mail''</ref> was finally solved when Brand confirmed it had been his mates Joe and {{wpl|Bear Grylls||.}}<ref>Richard Eden, [https://archive.ph/lL4vL How Bear Grylls helped to baptise Russell Brand in the Thames after the comic converted to Christianity] 6 May 2024, ''Daily Mail''</ref>

In late 2024, with legal action looming, Brand, his wife and their three children relocated from Oxfordshire to Florida, with Brand claiming he was being “attacked” by British authorities.<ref>Rosamund Urwin and Dipesh Gadher, [https://archive.ph/Ad1Fj Russell Brand moves to the US in a headache for prosecutors] 1 February 2025, ''The Sunday Times''</ref><ref>William Mata, [https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/russell-brand-sex-allegations-extradition-lives-us-b1208610.html Russell Brand 'moves to US' claiming British authorities are 'attacking' him amid BBC misconduct review] 2 February 2025, ''Evening Standard''</ref>  When charges are authorized, UK authorities will need to formally request his extradition from the US, a process that can be lengthy and legally complex. Furthermore, Brand could contest any extradition efforts in American courts.

A criminal investigation into the allegations resulted in The Crown Prosecution Service authorizing the Metropolitan Police Service to charge Brand on one count of rape, one count of indecent assault, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault.<ref name=metpolice />

==His shitty witty==
[[File:BrandMagicAmulet.jpg|right|thumb|165px|This is where the magic happens.]]
Brand has promoted a truly astounding amount of [[bullshit]]. [[GMO|GMO scaremongering]]<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ9RL6aziWE</ref>,[[Russian]] conspiracy theories about Ukraine<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03/17/russell-brand-became-mad-hatter-conspiracy-theories/ How Russell Brand became the ‘Mad Hatter of conspiracy theories’]</ref>, [[Globalism|Globalism scaremongering]]<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/05/22/wha-who-pandemic-treaty/ Global health talks clouded by conspiracy theories about pandemic treaty]</ref>, just to list a few. His rhetoric is not too dissimilar from other conspiracy theorists, vaugely gesturing towards [[Elitism|"The Elite"]], [[Media|"The Media"]], [[They|"THEY"]], etc. Often, this opposition to "The Elite" is shallow at best. Russell Brand is a millionare, with connections to powerful people, and with a massive platform on a website that he refers to as part of "The Media."
(It's almost as if these incredibly wealthy individuals grift and gesture to persecution when people rightfully call them out on their [[bullshit]], but what's a little bit of logical reasoning when you have some vaguely [[International Jewish Conspiracy|antisemitic conspiracy theories]] to peddle to your lower class media followers?)

It's difficult to tell what is more impressive, the fact that Russell Brand is so consistently wrong about everything, or that 6 million people actually enjoy his content. Crankery, conspiracy peddling, and fearmongering aside, Russell Brand's "content" is grating. Put nicely, they're a collection of Russell Brand's unstructured rants and ramblings, edited to have even a slight amount of cohesive understandability. To call them exhausting to listen to would be too charitable, it's objectively awful content. If he's trying to be a [[cult|cult leader]], he's doing it poorly. 

===Mindless clickbait===
The level and extent of [[clickbait]] on his channel would make even the most seasoned [[Breitbart]] writer shed a tear. With such gems as [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWPIhgknRhI "Covid Cover-Up: New BOMBSHELL Lab Leak Report!! #covid #wuhan #lableak"], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0k6X03XvxWw "So...Trump was RIGHT About Clinton & Russia Collusion!! #clinton #trump #russiagate"], and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKf7PWd7QgA "(PROOF) America Is In Decline #america #theend #superpower"], Russell Brand goes from being a conspiratorial hack to an ''incredibly annoying'' conspiratorial hack. Surely, Brand, enlightened thinker he is, wouldn't dare insult the intelligence of his followers by mindlessly pandering to their paranoia and fear instead of opting to actually make a point, would he? 

===Parasocial behavior===
Like every good "thought leader", Russell Brand has built a [[personality cult|cult of personality]] around himself. To his followers, he's a [[guru]], an enlightened thinker unafraid to speak truth to power, a truly brave man that seeks nothing but to wake the [[sheeple]] up. He constantly states that he [[bullshit|"feels the energy"]] of his followers, and that they [[persecution complex|will win against the elites that seek to oppress them and keep them down.]] Don't forget the '''Great Reset''' folks. [[Wishful thinking|It'll happen eventually!]] Basically, he speaks like a cult leader. Who would have guessed?

===Hawking magic amulets===
Brand released a TikTok ad promoting a £188 "magic amulet" from Airestech, claiming it protects against Wi-Fi and "evil energies," particularly in airports.<ref>Athena Stavrou, [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/russell-brand-magic-amulet-wifi-airestech-tiktok-b2629426.html Russell Brand appears in bizarre video selling ‘magical amulet’ to protect from ‘corrupting’ wifi], 15 October 2024, ''The Independent''</ref><ref>Peter Chappell[https://archive.ph/coOca Russell Brand selling £188 amulets to ward off ‘evil energies’], 15 October 2024, ''The Times''</ref> In the video, he demonstrates his strength by lifting his own suitcase and credits the amulet for this strength. Mysteriously, his Wi-Fi-enabled microphone seems to work despite being in close proximity to the device. Airestech has embraced the controversy stirred up by the pseudoscientific claims in the ad by suggesting it will adopt Brand's renaming of the product as a “magic amulet.”

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brand, Russell}}

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