Russell Brand, who’s been surrounding himself with prayer books in jail, has found a way to keep his social media presence alive from behind bars.
Days after being sentenced to prison, the 51-year-old actor broke his silence with a public message and thanked a wealthy billionaire for showing him support.
Readers questioned the timing and sentiment behind his post, asking: “This is what you have to say?”
Russell Brand has broken his silence from behind bars, with a special thank you to one billionaire
Trigger warning: this article contains graphic details that may be distressing to some.
Russell Brand, who was found guilty of rap*ng a fan and s*xua*ly as**ulting three other women, is seemingly getting used to his new home: the HM Prison Wandsworth.
After being sentenced to 10 years in prison on Monday, the disgraced comedian has shared his first message to the world on his X account.
Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images
His post came after Meta disabled his Facebook and Instagram accounts, leaving him unable to communicate with millions of followers on the platforms.
Apparently, Brand can still reach his audience through X—owned by Tesla billionaire Elon Musk.
His Wednesday post featured screenshots of an alert from Meta, informing him that his accounts had been disabled.
The disgraced comedian said Meta disabled his Facebook and Instagram accounts
“There never was a Russell Brand, according to @Meta,” he wrote.
The screenshots included Meta’s notification to Brand, which said: “We disabled your account. You no longer have access to russellbrand.”
It further explained that his account or activity did not follow the platform’s Community Standards, adding that nobody could see or find his profile anymore and that his information would be permanently deleted.
Before the accounts were disabled, the British actor had amassed around 6.2 million followers on Facebook and 5 million on Instagram.
Brand’s tweet did not end there. He reserved a thank-you message for Elon Musk, who seemingly didn’t abandon him despite being a convicted rap*st.
“Thank God for @elonmusk. Stay tuned,” he added.
His “stay tuned” sign-off had netizens wondering what he has planned next
It is unclear whether Brand is directly controlling his social media from behind bars or whether his team is handling it.
Nevertheless, his post quickly attracted a wave of angry reactions.
Many questioned whether he had any sense of how his message was coming across and wondered whether he was teasing some sort of comeback with his “stay tuned” sign-off.
“This is what you have to say?? Should we feel bad for YOU?? No, man. You’re a RAP*ST. F*** off!” said one outraged netizen.
“Whoever is running this account should be ashamed. Russell Brand is a CONVICTED rap*st,” said another.
“Stay tuned? Are you going to get another r*pe conviction?” one asked.
Many slammed Musk for his repeated show of support to the convicted British actor
Brand’s expression of gratitude to Musk also did not go down well with readers.
“A convicted rap*st thanking @elonmusk publicly. Not a good look at all,” read one comment.
“@elonmusk never fails to disappoint, enabling a convicted rap*st,” another said, “what a sc**bag.”
Musk’s support of Brand was certainly not something new.
The billionaire has defended the comedian since allegations against him became public in 2023.
“I support Russell Brand. That man is not evil,” the SpaceX founder tweeted at the time.
He believed there was “more to this than meets the eye.”
The Tesla founder has defended Russell Brand since allegations first surfaced in 2023
A day after the British jury found Brand guilty, Musk seemingly mocked his conviction as he responded to an X user.
“So using the Russell Brand case as precedent, any woman can wait 20+ years and then go to police and say the s*x she had on a particular night all those years ago wasn’t consensual so the guy is then guilty. We’re living in the twilight zone,” read the tweet.
Musk replied, saying: “Yes, this is a crazy legal standard!”
Meanwhile, away from the spotlight of social media, Brand is seemingly adjusting to life behind bars.
He reportedly spent hours meditating and praying during his first couple of days in prison.
“He’s tried hard to maintain a dignified and calm manner, though being jailed for so long is obviously going to be causing him huge distress,” a source told the Daily Mail.
The source claimed he’s been trying to avoid showing fear and is “staying in his cell as much as he can.”
“Brand got a couple of books from the library – a Bible and some prayer books,” the source added. “He’s been reading, meditating and praying for hours on end.”
“Birds of a feather flock together”, one comment reads
