Russell Brand Thanks Elon Musk After Meta Disables His Instagram Account With 6.2M Followers

Russell Brand's Instagram account has been disabled by Meta following his conviction for rape and sexual assault, with a notice shared on his X account showing the platform's decision on 11 November 2026.

The post also thanked Elon Musk and ended with the words 'Stay tuned', although it is unclear who published the message on Brand's behalf.

Brand was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on 9 November to 10 years and six months in prison. The Crown Prosecution Service said he had been found guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault against four women, for offences committed between 2004 and 2009.

Meta Removes Russell Brand Under Account Integrity Rules

The Instagram notice said Brand's account, or activity on it, did not comply with the platform's Community Standards. It stated that the account had been disabled, that its information would be permanently deleted and that another review of the decision could not be requested.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed to TMZ that the account had been removed because it violated the company's policies.

The report identified Meta's Account Integrity policy as the basis for the decision, allowing the company to restrict accounts over certain harmful conduct taking place away from its platforms.

The policy includes provisions covering accounts belonging to people convicted of sexual offences. This points to conduct beyond content posted directly on Instagram, rather than a particular photograph, video or comment.

The notice itself, however, does not name the conviction or identify a specific post or activity. It gives a general explanation based on the platform's rules, so the screenshot alone does not establish which provision was applied in Brand's case.

The notice was dated two days after sentencing, placing Meta's action shortly after the court proceedings. The timing is clear, but it does not by itself prove the precise reason for the decision.

Russell Brand's X Account Remains Active After Instagram Ban

The message shared on X read: 'There never was a Russell Brand, according to @Meta. Thank God for @elonmusk. Stay tuned.' It did not explain whether Brand intended to challenge the decision or what followers should expect next.

Brand's X account remained accessible after the Instagram removal. The post's reference to Musk does not establish that the owner of X intervened in Meta's decision or had any involvement in the suspension.

The screenshot showed an Instagram profile with 6.2 million followers and 27 accounts followed.

His bio described him as a comedian and promoted weekday live broadcasts on Rumble. His X post had attracted 2.2 million views, 2,400 replies, 2,600 reposts and 25,000 likes at the time of the screenshot.

Brand was also acquitted of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault.

He denied the charges, and the distinction between the convictions and acquittals is essential when describing the case.

For now, it remains unclear who published the post or whether Brand authorised it. It is also unknown who will manage his social media accounts while he is in prison, whether further updates will appear on X, or if his representatives will issue a separate statement addressing Meta's decision.