Meta deactivated Russell Brand’s Instagram and Facebook accounts days after the British comedian was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and three sexual assaults.
Reports of the suspension were published through Brand’s account on X, which remains active. An Instagram screenshot shows a notification saying that the account has been deactivated because the profile or activity on it does not comply with the platform’s rules. A similar message on Facebook states that the account was suspended for violating community standards.
“According to @Meta, Russell Brand never existed. Thank God for @elonmusk. To be continued,” the post on X reads. It is not known who is managing the account while Brand is in prison.
Meta confirmed to TMZ that the account was removed for violating the company’s policies. According to Variety, the decision followed Brand’s conviction, but the company has not publicly disclosed details about the specific content that led to the deactivation.
Brand, who is 51, was found guilty on November 5 by a jury in London. The conviction involved one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault related to four women and incidents between 2004 and 2009.
On November 9, Southwark Crown Court sentenced him to a total of 10 years and six months in prison. Brand has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to the charges. According to the Associated Press, jurors acquitted him of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
After the sentence was handed down, Brand was taken to HMP Wandsworth in London. His lawyer, Kalli Sahota, told Page Six that he would remain there for “the next few weeks” before being transferred to another prison based on security, safety and rehabilitation requirements.
His wife, Laura, and his three children can visit him up to three times a week, with each visit lasting no more than two and a half hours. According to Sahota, Brand will be entitled to one hour outside his cell each day.
At this stage, his X account remains accessible, while his Instagram and Facebook accounts are unavailable. Meta has not publicly stated whether the deactivation can be appealed or whether the accounts will be restored.