Netflix Refuses To Remove Russell Brand Stand-Up Special Featuring Crude Sex Joke

Netflix will continue to stream a Russell Brand stand-up special after the comedian was convicted of rape and sexual assault. Russell Brand: Re:Birth, the 2018 original comedy show filmed in front of a live audience at the Hackney Empire in East London, will not be removed following internal discussions at the streamer. During the special, Brand references his sexual escapades while reflecting on how long it took to conceive his first child with wife, Laura Brand, who is thanked in the credits. “I’ve hardly been conservative with sperm. Giving the stuff away like sticky confetti,” he said. “The real miracle is that one of them’s been allowed to germinate instead of being squandered in a stranger’s eyelashes.” Commenting on the birth of his daughter, he added that “there ain’t nothing like seeing a vagina coming out of a vagina to make you re-evaluate your attitude towards people with vaginas.” Watch on Deadline Netflix will continue to host Russell Brand: Re:Birth but will no longer actively promote the show to members after Brand was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison on Monday. Russell Brand: Re:Birth will not feature in Netflix viewing recommendations and does not appear when searching Brand’s name. The show can be found, however, by searching for “British stand-up comedy.” A Netflix source said: “We prioritize choice and control for our members: the freedom to watch what, how and when you want, with recommendations and ratings to inform those choices.” Netflix has a high bar for content removals. The streamer has stood by Dave Chappelle over his views on transgender rights, while in 2022, the streamer rebuffed calls to take down Jimmy Carr’s 2022 special His Dark Material amid a backlash over a joke about the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community. Brand was last week found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison. In sentencing remarks following the four-week trial, Mr Justice Bennathan described Brand as a “sexual predator,” and said his fame protected him until 2023, when Channel 4 and The Times of London published allegations about his conduct. The judge paid tribute to the “determination and bravery” of the women who made complaints about Brand. “Whatever women wear, wherever they go, indeed whatever they drink, they retain the right to say ‘no’ and to demand justice from the criminal courts when sexual predators like you, Russell Brand, act without their consent,” Bennathan said.