Russell Brand Won't Be Banned From YouTube Says Platform's European Boss – Variety

A YouTube exec has said disgraced comedian Russell Brand should not be able to “make a living” through the platform but added YouTube currently has no plans to ban him. Pedro Pina, YouTube’s EMEA VP was appearing in conversation with Channel 4 boss Alex Mahon at the Royal Television Society conference in Cambridge, U.K, on Wednesday when Mahon asked him about the decision to turn off monetization of Brand’s YouTube channel. “Essentially he is not able to make a living through YouTube,” said Pina. “We don’t believe that should happen.” Brand, a comedian and actor who has appeared in films including “Rock of Ages” alongside Tom Cruise, was the subject of a lengthy joint investigation by The Times of London, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 documentary strand “Dispatches” which alleged that Brand raped or sexually assaulted four women at the height of his fame. Brand has strongly denied the allegations. Pina stopped short of saying that Brand should be banned from YouTube, however. “We don’t tolerate harmful content,” Pina said. “Right now, from our point of view, we don’t have harmful content by Russell Brand.” He added that there had been an “incident in the past” where Brand was
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