Netflix hides Russell Brand's Re:Birth special from subscribers after rape conviction
Netflix will not fully remove Russell Brand's 2018 stand-up special Re:Birth, but has hidden it from recommendations and search, following Brand's sentencing for rape and sexual assault.
Netflix will not fully remove Russell Brand's 2018 stand-up special Re:Birth from its platform, but the streamer has hidden it from subscribers, taking it out of recommendations and search results. The decision follows Brand's conviction for rape and three counts of sexual assault and his subsequent sentence of 10 years and six months in prison.
Netflix said it prioritises viewer choice and control, which it cited as the reason for keeping the special in its catalogue rather than deleting it outright. The stand-up set was recorded in London and released in 2018. While it can no longer be easily found through the service's own navigation tools, it has not been erased from the platform altogether, a distinction that separates the streamer's response from a full withdrawal.
The case against Brand was built in part on evidence from his former partner, Jemima Goldsmith, who has alleged violence, coercive control and abuse during their relationship. Goldsmith dated Brand for about a year until September 2014. Thames Valley Police were contacted on July 25, 2014, in connection with a complaint from Goldsmith. Officers later ordered Brand to leave her home after a reported assault, although no arrests were made at that time.
The Metropolitan Police is separately investigating two further rape allegations against Brand. Those allegations have not been proven in court, and the force's inquiry is ongoing. Together, the cases have prompted renewed scrutiny of how streaming services and broadcasters handle the back catalogue of performers who have been convicted of serious offences.
The move also comes amid a wider reassessment of Brand's work by British broadcasters. The BBC has edited a Brand joke out of the iPlayer version of the sitcom Gavin & Stacey, and it is removing programmes featuring David Walliams, including Little Britain. Walliams has been accused of preying on young women and denies the allegations. The corporation said it is reviewing all Walliams-related material while an inquiry is under way, meaning that decisions about his output are being taken in parallel with the Netflix decision on Brand.
For streaming platforms, the Brand case highlights a practical tension. Hiding a title from recommendations and search reduces its visibility without removing it, which allows a service to avoid promoting a convicted performer while leaving existing viewers and the wider archive intact. Netflix has not indicated whether the approach will be applied to other titles, and the position may be tested as further legal proceedings and inquiries conclude.
Source: nme.com
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