Woody Allen has a better chance of being welcomed back by Hollywood, Inc., than Russell Brand.
A media expose alleging the British comedian sexually assaulted four women, including a then-16-year-old, effectively ended his show business career. He lost his management and a book deal in the days following the investigation’s release.
The entertainment industry assumes a “guilty until proven innocent” pose with many stars, assuming they don’t declare themselves nonbinary or spend years mocking President Donald Trump.
Brand, who denies any wrongdoing, already alienated much of the industry by defying its mandatory narratives.
- Mask up!
- Biden is “fine”
- Pandemic lockdowns were necessary
- The media should be trusted
Brand’s powerful YouTube and Rumble channels shredded those beliefs, earning him a rabid, and often bipartisan fan base. He may not snag leading man roles anymore, but in a way, Brand’s second coming gave him more cultural power than before.
He savaged the elites, defied media headlines and embraced his growing status as a cultural soothsayer. In turn, fans swore their fealty to him and his rambunctious Id.
Until now.
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News outlets are digging through their files to find other stories suggesting Brand was a sexual predator. Deadline.com served up one such detail, looking at the comedian’s short run on Comedy Central’s “Roast Battle.”
Brand was booked as a judge on Comedy Central’s Roast Battle in 2018, but only lasted a single season on the series after he himself was roasted on-camera over allegations he had sexually assaulted women. He strongly denies criminal wrongdoing.
People magazine suggests more alleged victims are coming forward.
On Monday, the U.K. newspaper The Times reported that “several women” had contacted the publication since it published allegations of rape, sexual assault and abuse by multiple women on Saturday in a joint investigation run with The Sunday Times and the Channel 4 current affairs show Dispatches.
There’s a wrinkle to this ugly story, one that wouldn’t be in play as recently as five years ago.
Brand’s fans aren’t buying it.
It’s not just a disconnect between his cheeky persona and the vile allegations. Many people no longer trust the mainstream media thanks to years of corrupt coverage, extreme partisanship and bias by omission.
This is how the establishment media is covering Russell Brand. It only allows for a single, driven narrative without even so much as a voice of dissension. He’s declared guilty, without a trial.
Tell me there isn’t a media conspiracy to take him down. pic.twitter.com/mYxxCvUomt
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 17, 2023
The list of examples is too numerous to mention, but Brand’s fans fear the comedian’s willingness to speak truth to power made him a target that had to be taken down.
Except that may not be possible.
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If the police enter the picture and charge him with a crime or crimes, he could be in significant trouble. Otherwise, he’ll keep producing his comedic monologues, decrying corporate powers attacking free speech and providing a voice for the voiceless.
He still may face forces eager to silence him. YouTube, no friend to free speech and eager to maintain corporate narratives, may take down his popular channel. If so, he’ll shift over to Rumble full time.
The more powerful platforms silence him, the bigger he may become.
Brand has emerged as a Trumpian figure, someone whose bond with his base is so powerful it can deflect almost any allegation.
Innocent? Guilty? It may not matter moving forward. His sizable flock believes him over the press, and that may save his creative future.
The post Russell Brand’s Career Is Officially Over (…but) appeared first on Hollywood in Toto.
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