For 15 years he was the center of the airwaves and the comedy circuit, winning acclaim in Hollywood for films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him To The Greek.
But Russell Brand’s increasingly bizarre conspiracy theories, online rants and political activism caused the former TV star to go increasingly ‘off-grid’.
And the final blow to his previously glittering career came after a series of sexual misconduct allegations published in September – with five women accusing him of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse in an explosive investigation by the Times and Channel 4.
In December, the 48-year-old comedian was interviewed by the Metropolitan Police about ‘further’ historical sex offences, a month after he was questioned about the initial allegations.
Brand – who denies rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013 – saw ratings plummet on his hugely profitable YouTube channel and the platform cut off his revenue stream.
He was forced to cancel a series of sold-out comedy performances in the wake of the scandal and was dropped by his agent.
But incredibly, the disgraced comic character – once estimated to be worth £15 million – still earns £25,000 a WEEK.
Tanith Carey, Russell Brand’s first biographer, says: “Brand may no longer be welcome on primetime TV, but even before his mainstream career was torn apart by the rape and sexual assault allegations, he focused last September on gaining a cult following .on alternative social media channels where he had more control.
“Brand now has a solid and dedicated following on social media, many of whom are not at all bothered by the sexual allegations – and who see them as part of the establishment’s conspiracy to silence him.
“Brand’s income may have dropped, but he still has enough of an online community to keep the money coming in.
“He finds that transforming himself into a serious revolutionary and spiritual guru can also be lucrative.”
Anti-vaxx and pro-Russia
After finding fame on Big Brother’s Big Mouth, Brand was given his own show on Channel 4 and a primetime slot on Radio 2.
He went on to star in a host of films, including Rock of Ages and Despicable Me, and his global brand was cemented when he married pop superstar Katy Perry in 2010 – although the ill-fated marriage lasted just four months.
But online Brand, who has 6.7 million followers on his channel, was a poster boy for the far left, expressing revolutionary views and calling on fans not to vote.
In recent years, his tone has shifted toward more radical conspiracy theories, with anti-vaxxing and COVID denialist views, and he has been accused of spreading pro-Russian propaganda in the wake of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, including baseless claims about bioweapons labs in the US . country.
After YouTube removed one post for medical misinformation, he moved to Rumble, where his loyal army of fans — whom he calls Awakened Wonders — still number in the hundreds of thousands to watch his daily conspiracy-driven rants.
But in an explosive Channel 4 documentary in September, the star was accused of sexual and emotional abuse by five women, four of whom were anonymous.
The revelations led to his agent, Angharad Wood, dropping him as advertisers and TV companies, who once clamored to work with him, turned their backs.
£4 million profit
Although many of his regular income streams have dried up and his chances of a comeback seem slim, he still commands a fortune after raking in millions during his heyday.
But much of his income now depends on conspiracy theory and alt-right community and ‘off-grid’ wellness activities.
His main TV production company, Pablo Diablo’s Legitimate Business Firm Ltd, currently makes £4,070,420 in profits and has paid out more than £2 million in the last financial year.
He also owns two businesses with his wife Laura, 36, sister of TV presenter Kirsty Gallagher, who he married in 2017.
R&L Brand LLP has assets worth £211,827, while their new firm Stay Free Media Ltd, established in February 2022, has yet to file accounts.
In total, his paper fortune in Britain is just under £4.2 million.
But the couple have significant expenses after buying a £3.3million thatched mansion in Henley, Oxfordshire, in 2016 and The Crown Inn in nearby Pishill for £850,000 in December 2021.
The pub, which he planned to convert into a vegan restaurant, has failed to open under his ownership and remains boarded up and fenced.
But according to Companies House, Pablo Diablo’s firm is saddled with two charges (or mortgages) against Barclays Bank, with the company’s millions being used as collateral against the pub.
£20,000 per week
His Rumble channel, which is watched by an average of about 250,000 viewers, is now his main revenue stream.
While the top Rumble creators earn £16 per 1,000 viewers, Brand earns £4,000 per show, which is produced five days a week – so up to £20,000 per week.
The content consists mainly of conspiracy debates and brand monologues with controversial guests such as discredited InfoWars presenter Alex Jones, who faces bankruptcy after being sued for £1.2 billion by the families of Sandy Hook victims for claiming the 2012 shooting that left people dead. 20 children and six adults – was a fraud.
“Brand knows his new audience. His videos about the pandemic and vaccines are especially popular,” says Tanith.
“He now has 1.79 million followers on Rumble, almost double what he had on the platform in March last year – and he can get at least 750,000 views on his most popular clips.”
The comic also charges £47 a year for exclusive content on its Awakened Wonders Community, on the Locals online platform. If 100 people signed up each week that would amount to £4,700.
His Stay Free podcast is not generating any revenue and his YouTube payments have been suspended.
The presenter’s shows and podcasts, including Bake Off, QI and Big Brother, have been removed from BBC and Channel 4 streaming services since the scandal broke.
Wellness guru
He and Laura – who share two daughters, aged seven and five – are also running the Community Wellness Festival in July, with tickets priced from £160 to £210, with three price ranges already sold out for 2024.
The three-day meditation and yoga event in Hay-on-Wye is registered at The Crown Inn and promises to be about ‘personal awakening and social change’.
The website states: “Russell Brand and friends return for 3 days of camping, conversations about spirituality, wellness, healthy living and our environment.
“Get ready for yoga or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, enjoy musical performances, relax with meditation and massage from a range of holistic healers on site.”
Photos from the event, which was attended by 5,000 people, show children and babies taking part in activities, a young boy rolling around in the mud and festival goers – including Brand – plunging into ice baths.
He is also seen as the leader of a meditation group and participates in ritual dances led by guru Wim Hof.
The comedian – himself a former heroin addict – donates all profits to the couple’s charity, the Stay Free Foundation, of which his wife is a trustee, which helps addicts in their recovery.
The new brand of himself as a spiritual guru resonates with fans of the comic, who previously toured a show called The Messiah Complex.
“Without an in-depth, personal psychological diagnosis, it is impossible to know for sure whether he really has a ‘Messiah complex’ or whether he is playing on it as part of his ‘guru’ comedy persona,” says Tanith.
“Brand is certainly showing signs of greatness and has admitted in interviews that he has narcissistic tendencies.
“But he is a master of reinvention. Part of his brand is like a recovered addict who wants to help others and live a spiritual life, full of yoga and meditation.
“This lifestyle also fits into this story about how big industries, like the food and pharmaceutical companies, are deliberately trying to make people sick to make money.”
While Brand denies all allegations of assault and says he only participated in ‘consensual’ sex, the Channel 4 and Times investigation means a return to the mainstream is out of the question.
Officers from a special police unit for ‘non-recent’ sexual offenses following the Jimmy Savile scandal have been working with Scotland Yard to investigate the allegations, The Times previously reported.
But, aided by its loyal followers, the Brand brand continues to thrive.
“Brand still has more than 11 million followers on Twitter – about the same as when the sexual abuse allegations surfaced. Guests – some of whom are experts in their field – are still lining up to go to his shows” , says Tanith.
“His output remains prolific, sometimes releasing new podcast content every day.
“He knows that the sexual abuse allegations fit into his audience’s belief that the mainstream media has its own agenda – and is always out to get him.
“Brand knows his followers – who he calls ‘his Awakened Wonders’ – are looking for conspiracy theories, so he had a ready-made answer ready.
“If anything, I believe he will take pride in building an off-grid media empire – and showing that it is possible – to cause the maximum disruption.”