Netflix Won’t Pull Russell Brand’s ‘Re:Birth’ Special, but It Has Stopped Promoting It After His Sentencing

‘Russell Brand: Re:Birth’ is a stand-up special that has sat quietly in Netflix’s library for years. The 63-minute show was filmed at the Hackney Empire in East London in April 2018 and arrived on the service that December. It was pitched as a comic reflection on the state of the world and on how fatherhood changed Brand’s life.

According to Netflix’s own description, the special also has Brand reflecting on his past promiscuity and his activism. It includes a crude joke about the birth of his daughter that suggests watching a birth made him re-evaluate his attitude toward women. Until now, it has been one of several Brand projects available to Netflix subscribers.

That changed after a London court case that ended last week. Brand was found guilty of rape and 3 counts of sexual assault, according to Chortle, and was sentenced on Monday to 10 years and 6 months in prison. Reports say 6 women testified against him during the trial.

In the aftermath, Netflix has decided against removing ‘Russell Brand: Re:Birth’ following internal discussions, Deadline reports. The streamer will keep hosting the special but will no longer actively promote it to members.

In practice, that means the show does not appear in viewing recommendations and does not come up when searching Brand’s name. It can still be found by searching for “British stand-up comedy,” according to Deadline, and a UK outlet found that misspelling his surname as “Band” also surfaces it. Chortle noted it can also be reached easily through a Google search.

So the special has been buried rather than deleted. Brit Brief described it as hidden from search results while remaining in the library, which is a distinction that matters to anyone tracking how streamers handle controversial catalog titles.

Netflix’s justification was brief. A spokesperson said the company prioritises choice and control for its members, meaning the freedom to watch what, how and when they want, with recommendations and ratings to inform those choices. The company did not elaborate in the coverage I found.

The reaction has been sharp. Chortle’s headline framed the move in blunt terms, and the UK charity the Fawcett Society’s chair, Jill Greenfield, was quoted as calling it surprising, since a criminal conviction would normally prompt a different response. Men’s Journal described the decision as polarizing and compared it to Netflix standing by Dave Chappelle over his comments on transgender rights.

Supporters of Netflix’s approach could point to its stated principle of viewer choice. Critics could point out that hiding a title from search and recommendations is itself an editorial decision, one that stops short of removing the special entirely. Both readings fit the facts as reported.

Netflix is not the only platform dealing with Brand’s back catalog. The BBC has removed a joke from a 2008 episode of ‘Gavin & Stacey’ on iPlayer, in which Ruth Jones’s Nessa alludes to a “cracking night” with the comedian. NME and LBC both reported the edit, which affects the show’s 2008 Christmas special.

Brand’s films have been treated unevenly on Netflix too. Brit Brief reported that other titles featuring him, including ‘St Trinian’s’ and ‘Death on the Nile’, remain visible when searching his name in a browser. LBC noted that ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ and ‘Get Him to the Greek’ are listed but not available on Netflix in the UK.

The episode raises a familiar question about what streamers owe audiences when a performer is convicted of serious crimes. Removing a title can look like erasing history, while leaving it up can look like indifference to victims. Netflix has chosen a middle path that avoids both outcomes, though not without criticism.

For now, the special remains on the platform, quieter and harder to find than before. Whether Netflix revisits the decision may depend on how much pressure builds and whether other platforms follow the BBC’s lead.

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