On this day, 54 years ago, The Beatles released their final album: Abbey Road. Upon its release, the album cover fanned the flame of the infamous “Paul is dead” conspiracy. The theory asserted that Paul McCartney had died and been replaced circa 1966. Some saw the Abbey Road cover as a coded message for Paul’s funeral: The procession was led by John Lennon dressed in white like a religious figure, Ringo in black like the undertaker, Paul barefoot smoking a cigarette symbolizing a corpse, and George in denim like the gravedigger.

Well, 54 years later and still humming, the Paul McCartney replacement has really committed to the bit…

In today's edition:

Oil prices are approaching $100 a barrel

The Biden administration enacted a policy that will let 472,000 Venezuelan migrants in the US legally work

Amazon announced a $4B investment into AI startup Anthropic

Russia is recruiting Cubans to fight in Ukraine

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Since 2001, the worldwide number of online cybercrime victims per hour has increased from 6 to 91 and the hourly financial losses from cybercrime increased from $2K to $1.2M

Since 2001, the worldwide number of online cybercrimes per hour has increased from 6 to 91, and the hourly financial losses from them have increased from $2K to $1.2M

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Brand was born in a small town east of London in 1975. His parents divorced when he was six months old, and Brand’s mother mostly raised him. In a 2007 autobiography, Brand wrote how he was playing with Playboy and Juggs magazines when he was an “infant.”

One of his earliest memories was watching porn while his father “diddled birds in the room next door,” he wrote, which over time made him a “weary connoisseur of my dad’s pornography.” Brand’s mother developed cancer three times before Brand turned 17, and he developed a bad relationship with his mother’s partner.

By age 16, he had moved out of the house. Around that time, his father brought him on a vacation in Asia, during which the two “had sex with loads [of] prostitutes,” Brand later wrote in an autobiography. “I felt that I had my dad's unequivocal approval.”

During that period of his life, Brand said his only escape from his depression was through acting, which taught him that “life doesn’t have to be a…trudge through misery.” He performed in school productions and discovered a love for stand-up comedy. He remained unhappy, though, and turned to drugs including LSD, ecstasy, and heroin.

In 1991, Brand was accepted to a prestigious London performing arts school, but was expelled after a year for drug use and poor attendance. Broke and addicted to heroin, he joined London’s stand-up beat, where he often joked about his own criminal and sexual past. He rose in the comedy scene and leveraged that into a job as a video journalist at MTV – only to be fired in 2001 for coming to work the day after 9/11 dressed as Osama bin Laden.

Brand’s big break came in 2004, when he hosted “Big Brother's Big Mouth,” a UK spinoff of the American show “Big Brother.” Audiences loved Brand’s humor and wittiness, and his career took off. He began starring in movies, including 2008’s “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and 2010’s “Get Him to the Greek,” on whose set he met Katy Perry. The couple married at a Hindu ceremony in India the following year but split a year later.

Brand spoke often about his sex addiction and claimed to have had sex with thousands of women, including nine in a single evening. The Sun, a UK tabloid, named him “Shagger of the Year” three years in a row between 2006 and 2008. In his 2007 book, Brand said he went to rehab for his condition after realizing his actions “might become damaging to my career.”

Sexual misconduct allegations followed Brand throughout his career.

In 2006, an Australian actress called him a “bit of a vile predator” after appearing on his show. “I certainly don’t think he has cured his sex addiction,” she said, adding that he “wouldn’t take no for an answer” and made vulgar remarks. In a 2014 book, an ex-girlfriend claimed Brand had sexually assaulted her in a hotel in 2007.

In a 2008 episode of “The Russell Brand Show,” which aired on the BBC’s Radio 6, Brand and a guest attempted to interview actor Andrew Sachs by phone. When he didn’t answer, they left him a series of vulgar voice messages. During that, the guest left a recording telling Sachs that Brand “f*cked your granddaughter,” referring to Brand’s former relationship with Sachs’ granddaughter. “Sachsgate,” as it was known, forced Brand to resign and the BBC to apologize.

Brand has since shifted out of the mainstream media while arguably becoming more influential than ever through his podcast, “Stay Free.” On hour-long episodes, he blasts capitalism, Covid policies, the media, Big Pharma, Big Tech, censorship, and more. He has amassed a massive social following, with 6.6M YouTube subscribers, 11.3M followers on X, and 6.3M between TikTok and Instagram. “Covid Tsar Admits Lockdowns Were NEVER About Science,” one of his most recent YouTube videos says; “Bill Gates Has Been HIDING This And It's ALL About To Come Out,” says another.

This month, three UK news outlets reported accusations that Brand sexually assaulted four women between 2006 and 2013. One of the women accused Brand of raping her at his Los Angeles house. She was treated at a rape crisis center the same day and sent Brand a text saying, “When a girl say[s] NO it means no.”

Another accuser alleged that she had a sexual relationship with Brand when she was 16 – above the UK’s age of consent – and he was 31. She said he referred to her as “the child” and sexually assaulted her on at least one occasion. London police have since confirmed they received a complaint against Brand.

The allegations led many businesses and organizations to cut ties with Brand, including his management company and some streaming services, which have removed his content. YouTube, Brand’s primary platform, announced he could no longer make money off his videos.

Brand responded with a denial: “Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.” Claiming to have always been transparent about his promiscuity, he suggested there is “another agenda at play” behind the accusations.

While the allegations may derail Brand’s career, they may also have the opposite effect

Brand has built his brand by alleging that established institutions try to silence those who challenge them. On Thursday, Rumble – a video platform where Brand has over 1M followers – published a letter showing the UK parliament asked it to demonetize Brand’s page.

While many on social media expressed anger at the company for failing to do so, many of Brand’s supporters did just the opposite.

If you have thoughts, let us know at [email protected]!

Is it possible to “amicably” divorce?
Yes: 72%
No: 18%

Is it possible to have a trusted social media platform in a polarized country?

Louise from Belgium: "My go-to plane snack is M&Ms! They're so delicious and you can share them and I can't stop eating them and I always end up feeling sick from so much sugar, which is why I usually ONLY get them on planes (which doesn't happen very often). But I get them beforehand, I never buy snacks on the plane itself, because it is way too expensive for what it is"

Robin from Dallas, Texas: "a combo of unsalted, roasted mixed nuts that I put together myself. A Close 2nd would be Beef Jerky.”

Spencer from Tampa, Florida: "Nothing beats chewing gum on the airplane - best way to pop your ears!”

Yesterday’s Wrap told the story of Rupert Murdoch and the rise of his Big News Empire.

Éanna: “Rupert’s words are correct, and I’m sure he knows from experience, as he is complicit in the meddling from what he calls the “elites”. Just because he’s pointed it out doesn’t absolve him of his role in it.”

Tom from Sacramento, California: “The liberals own and slant most of the media content in our country. I am a college educator and see how far to the left our education system is. Our children are being indoctrinated and brainwashed. You wouldn’t believe how many education dollars are not spent on academics in our colleges but on advancing the woke agenda.”

Jim: “What Rupert and Fox have done to media in the country is abysmal. He bought the places so many people seek for guidance. The fact that it was started to counter CNN proves my point. Why can’t media just inform and not push some agenda????”

Thanks everyone for the feedback to yesterday’s Wrap on Rupert Murdoch. We started Roca to counter the Big News narrative that pushes out stories founded on political agendas rather than facts. We promise to deliver nonpartisan, independent news each day.

Happy Tuesday!