The video-sharing platform Rumble on Wednesday condemned a letter from a UK parliamentary committee that raised concerns about the presence of Russell Brand on its platform as he faces allegations of rape and sexual assault.

In a strongly-worded response to the letter from Dame Caroline Dineage, chairwoman of the UK Parliament's Culture, Media, and Sport Committee, Rumble asserted its commitment to free speech and independence from cancel culture.

"While Rumble obviously deplores sexual assault, rape, and all serious crimes, and believes that both alleged victims and the accused are entitled to a full and serious investigation, it is vital to note that recent allegations against Russell Brand have nothing to do with content on Rumble's platform,” the company stated.

In her letter, dated Sept. 20, Ms. Dineage expressed concern about Mr. Brand's use of Rumble to respond to allegations made against him in The Sunday Times and Channel 4's “Dispatches” program.

“I am writing concerning the serious allegations regarding Russell Brand, in the context of his being a content provider on Rumble with more than 1.4 million followers,” Ms. Dineage wrote.

She said the parliamentary committee is probing all broadcasters and production companies “who previously employed Mr. Brand” to determine “the culture of the industry” in the wake of the allegations.

Ms. Dineage also inquired whether Mr. Brand was monetizing his content on Rumble and whether the platform had any intention of suspending his ability to earn money from it.

“While we recognize that Rumble is not the creator of the content published by Mr. Brand, we are concerned that he may be able to profit from his content on the platform,” Ms. Dineage wrote.

“If so, we would like to know whether Rumble intends to join YouTube in suspending Mr. Brand's ability to earn money on the platform,” she added.

Mr. Brand's Rumble and YouTube channels feature monologues about social and political matters. He has also appeared on corporate media networks in the United States and criticized them on air.

Ms. Dineage sent a similar letter on Tuesday to TikTok inquiring about Mr. Brand's ability to monetize on its platform.

UK's Request 'Deeply Inappropriate and Dangerous'

Rumble condemned what it saw as the UK Parliament's attempt to control who is allowed to speak on their platform and earn a living from it.

Rumble argued that singling out an individual and demanding a ban was inappropriate, especially when there was no connection between the allegations against Mr. Brand and his content on their platform.

"We regard it as deeply inappropriate and dangerous that the UK Parliament would attempt to control who is allowed to speak on our platform or to earn a living from doing so," Rumble stated.

The company added that the government official's inquiry about whether it would turn off Mr. Brand's ability to monetize his videos was "even more disturbing given the absence of any connection between the allegations and his content on Rumble."

"We emphatically reject the UK Parliament's demands," Rumble added.

Ms. Dineage's letter also raised concerns about creators using the platform to undermine the welfare of victims of inappropriate and potentially illegal behavior.

In response, Rumble mentioned that they do not agree with the behavior of many Rumble creators but refuse to penalize them for actions unrelated to their platform.

YouTube Demonetizes Brand's Channels

Rumble's statement comes in the wake of YouTube's decision on Tuesday to bar Mr. Brand from monetizing his video content based on the media accusations against him. Rumble, in contrast, has taken a different stance, upholding its principles of free speech and resisting calls for censorship.

"Rumble stands for very different values," the company stated, referring to YouTube's decision. "We have devoted ourselves to the vital cause of defending a free internet—meaning an internet where no one arbitrarily dictates which ideas can or cannot be heard, or which citizens may or may not be entitled to a platform."

During the weekend, The Times of London and The Sunday Times released an article, in addition to a television exposé presented by Channel 4's "Dispatches" program. These reports featured unnamed women making allegations against Mr. Brand, which included claims of sexual misconduct such as rape, abuse, and grooming.

The Metropolitan Police in the UK has also confirmed that it has received a report of sexual assault that allegedly happened in London in 2003.

Mr. Brand recently transitioned from a career in comedy, acting, and TV hosting to creating content on YouTube where he has over 6.6 million subscribers. He is known for discussing his past struggles with addiction and promiscuity in his comedy and more recently as a wellness influencer and outspoken critic of corporate media.

He published a video on his Rumble and YouTube channels denying any criminal allegations hours before the allegations were published in media reports. In the video, he accuses the media outlets of launching a "coordinated" attack on him.

YouTube previously told The Epoch Times that it took action against Mr. Brand's channel based on the "serious allegations" in the media reports under its "Creator Responsibility policy."

"If a creator’s off-platform behavior harms our users, employees, or ecosystem, we take action to protect the community,” the spokesperson said.

The suspension of monetization extends to all YouTube channels that may be owned or operated by Mr. Brand.

The Allegations

Over the weekend, several women accused Mr. Brand of abusive relationships, including rape allegations. One accuser didn't report a 2012 rape claim to the Los Angeles police, expressing doubts that her testimony would "mean anything up against his.”

Another woman who worked for Mr. Brand in West Hollywood alleged that he attempted to rape her but she fought him off and escaped.

The LAPD has confirmed no ongoing investigations or arrests.

A UK woman, who was 16 at the time, accused Mr. Brand of an abusive sexual relationship, and that he coached her to lie to her parents.

In a video posted on YouTube on Sunday, Mr. Brand said he "absolutely refute[s]" the allegations. He said he was "always transparent" about being promiscuous, but the sexual relationships he had "were absolutely always consensual."

He likened the allegations against him to "coordinated media attacks before like with Joe Rogan when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn't approve of," and said he felt like he was "being attacked."

Lily Zhou contributed to this report.