Russell Model information: Elon Musk faces questions over comic’s Twitter standing after coming to defence

Social media website X has been requested by a senior MP if proprietor Elon Musk, who modified its title from Twitter, “has personally intervened in any selections on Russell Model’s standing on the platform”.

Following rape and sexual assault allegations being made towards Model, on-line content material platforms that host his content material together with YouTube and podcasting firm Acast mentioned that he won’t become profitable from ads on their websites and apps.

Tradition, Media and Sport Committee chairwoman Dame Caroline Dinenage has written to different video internet hosting websites and social media shops on Wednesday to ask whether or not Model could make “revenue from his content material” on their platforms.

These embody X, the place the presenter has 11.2 million followers on the positioning previously generally known as Twitter, right-wing video platform Rumble the place has 1.4 million followers, and Instagram which has 3.8 million followers and is run by Meta.

Dame Caroline additionally pointed to a response by Mr Musk following Model posting a video on Friday denying the allegations and the comic and actor saying he has been “promiscuous” however that every one of his relationships have been “consensual”.

Within the communication to X chief government Linda Yaccarino, Dame Caroline mentioned: “We might be grateful in the event you may affirm whether or not Mr Model monetises his content material and, if that’s the case, we wish to know whether or not X intends to hitch YouTube in suspending Mr Model’s potential to earn cash on the platform.

“Given Elon Musk’s response to Mr Model’s tweet relating to the allegations, the place he wrote ‘After all. They don’t like competitors’, we’re additionally eager to know whether or not Mr Musk has personally intervened in any selections on Mr Model’s standing on the platform.

“We might additionally prefer to know what X is doing to make sure that creators are usually not in a position to make use of the platform to undermine the welfare of victims of inappropriate and doubtlessly unlawful behaviour.”

Russell Model has backed down in a row with a neighborhood council after he put up a safety fence outdoors his pub with out planning permission.

The comic erected a brown fabric-coated construction on the Grade-II listed Crown Inn, situated within the quaint village of Pishill, close to to his house in Henley-on-Thames.

It appeared a day after he was accused of rape, assault and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, following a joint investigation by The Occasions, Sunday Occasions and Channel 4’s Dispatches. Model has strongly denied the allegations.

Russell Model left the collection Roast Battle on Comedy Central after co-star Katherine Ryan saved mentioning sexual abuse claims on digital camera, a brand new report claims.

Model, 48, was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by 4 girls as a part of a joint investigation by The Occasions, The Sunday Occasions and Channel 4’s Dispatches final weekend. He has vehemently denied all allegations and maintained that every one of his sexual relationships have been consensual.

Ryan starred within the first season of Roast Battle alongside Model and Jimmy Carr in 2018. Model departed after six episodes, with Jonathan Ross taking his spot as a choose.

“There’s a lot to be horrified by in terms of the allegations dealing with Russell Model. As a part of a prolonged investigation by The Occasions, The Sunday Occasions, and Channel 4’s Dispatches, there are detailed accounts of sexual assault, emotional abuse, and controlling behaviour.

“There are claims he exploited his place as a public determine to exert energy over youthful, extra junior colleagues, alongside strategies of grooming and coercion. It’s harrowing, to say the least. (Model vehemently denied the allegations in a video launched on Friday, saying that his relationships have been “completely at all times consensual”.)

“Revealed final weekend, the allegations have prompted a surge in on-line discourse round sexual violence. There’s discuss of additional criminality, culpability of his employers, and a tradition of silence that meant Model and his status have been, for a very long time, professionally impenetrable. However there’s one factor only a few persons are discussing – and it’s one thing I haven’t been capable of cease enthusiastic about. That’s as a result of it occurred to me.”

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The video-streaming platform Rumble says its CEO obtained a “disturbing” letter from the pinnacle of a UK parliamentary committee, which known as for Russell Model to be denied promoting income on the positioning as a consequence of current allegations of rape and sexual harassment.

The platform, in an announcement posted on X, mentioned on Wednesday that its CEO Chris Pavlovski had obtained the letter from Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the tradition, media and sport committee.

“We regard it as deeply inappropriate and harmful that the UK Parliament would try to regulate who’s allowed to talk on our platform or to earn a dwelling from doing so,” the assertion mentioned.

Model has 1.4 million followers on Rumble, which has attracted a lot of right-wing content material creators with its free method to moderation.

The alleged assaults occurred between 2006 and 2013, whereas Model was presenting exhibits for the BBC and Channel 4. Model has vehemently denied all allegations, saying all of his relationships have been consensual.

Because the allegations spark inquiries by the BBC and Channel 4, questions from MPs and a widespread debate concerning the UK’s comedy scene, many on social media have been asking why it took so lengthy for the allegations towards Model to be made public.

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Channel 4 chief government Alex Mahon has mentioned the Russell Model allegations present that “horrible behaviour” in the direction of girls has been “traditionally tolerated” within the tv business.

Ms Mahon addressed the claims towards the previous Channel 4 presenter as she opened the Royal Tv Society’s Cambridge Conference on Wednesday 20 September.

“The allegations made towards Russell Model are horrendous and as a CEO of Channel 4 and as a girl in our business, I discovered the behaviours described in Dispatches and The Sunday Occasions and The Occasions articles disgusting and saddening,” she mentioned.

Model has strongly denied the rape and sexual assault allegations which span between 2006 and 2013, when he was on the peak of his fame whereas working for the broadcaster, BBC and starring in Hollywood movies.

Model, 48, had been due to participate in The Wanderlust Pageant in February 2024. Each the competition and Model have agreed to not proceed along with his exhibits.

His alleged actions occurred between 2005 and 2013, throughout which period Model acted as a presenter for each BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4. Model has vehemently denied all claims.

The shops have since reported that a number of extra girls have come ahead with related allegations, which are actually being “rigorously checked”.

Whereas Model has not been banned from YouTube within the wake of current allegations, the positioning did say that it will take away the flexibility to monetise his movies there by promoting. Within the wake of that current announcement, some – together with ex-Fox Information presenter Dan Bongino, who’s each a shareholder within the platform and one in all its greatest stars – have recommended that Model may as an alternative take his movies to that website.

He could be simply the newest different creator, a lot of whom are conservatives who’ve run into moderation points on different extra mainstream websites, to give attention to the platform. Already, whilst he was in a position to make use of YouTube as regular, he has gathered a sizeable following on Rumble: Model has 1.4 million followers, practically as many as the two.3 million he has on TikTok.

Rumble started in 2013, and for a very long time operated quietly as one more video-sharing website that a lot of the world hadn’t heard of; Rumble says that its early years have been about “empowering […] small content material creators”. It wasn’t till round 2020 that the positioning grew to become the rising and different centre that it has change into immediately.

“Why are they solely speaking about this now?” “Why didn’t they report it to the police?” “Did they create it upon themselves?” “Are they doing it for the cash?” “Is that this all only a plan to take down one other profitable man?”

It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s the president of america, a slapstick comedian or somebody’s brother-in-law – when girls communicate out about alleged male violence, we hear the identical, predictable responses.

Even earlier than the allegations of sexual assault and rape had been shared by The Sunday Occasions, 1000’s took to social media to criticise the ladies as liars, consideration seekers, fame-hungry, mentally unwell… even crops from the federal government.

Something however telling the reality.