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Disney Plus gets in front of the gathering storm by removing an episode from an upcoming series featuring Russell Brand before it premieres

Not what you'd call a coincidence

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 24: (EDITORS NOTE: Retransmission with alternate crop.) Russell Brand speaks onstage during MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Aerosmith at West Hall at Los Angeles Convention Center on January 24, 2020 in Los Angeles, California.
Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

As we’ve seen countless times over the years, all it takes is one bombshell accusation to open the floodgates for a slew of historical allegations to follow, something Russell Brand has been discovering firsthand.

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The comedian, personality, and sometimes actor tried to get ahead of the revelations made in a recent documentary by denouncing it as a media conspiracy the day before the news went public, but he hasn’t been able to do a damned thing to stop even more troubling stories from his past be dragged back into the headlines and placed back under the microscope.

russell brand bear grylls
Image via National Geographic

Understandably, having his face plastered all over a Disney-branded TV series isn’t the most ideal optics given the circumstances, so it’s not exactly a shock that the most recent listing for the upcoming streaming premiere of National Geographic’s Running Wild with Bear Grylls has seen its episode count whittled down from eight to seven, with Brand’s installment conspicuous by its absence.

The host and his guest took him on an adventure along the rugged coast of the Scottish Hebrides in search of ancient ruins to shelter in, all while Grylls extols his signature blend of wisdom, although the meme-happy drinking of his own urine does not feature for those desperate to know.

The show is coming to Disney Plus on the 25th of next month, but it’s a pre-emptive move on the Mouse House’s part to jettison Brand’s presence long before subscribers have the chance to catch up on Running Wild with Bear Grylls, a wise move given the gathering storm over his conduct both alleged and evidential dating back well over a decade.