80s rocker Ian McNabb claims he's been 'canceled' for defending Russell Brand

Angelica Cheyenne, Julianna Salinas Wed, November 11, 2026 at 1:30 PM UTC

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Ian McNabb defended convicted rapist Russell Brand (Image: C Brandon, Redfernsvia Getty Images)

Ian McNabb, lead singer of 1980s rock band Icicle Works, has claimed he has been "canceled" after sharing a since-deleted post in which he appeared to defend convicted rapist Russell Brand.

Brand, 51, has dominated headlines since he was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault on Monday, November 9. Following McNabb's public support of Brand, several of his upcoming British concert dates were dropped.

The 66-year-old musician's post, shared across his social media platforms including Facebook and X, alleged that the Forgetting Sarah Marshall star was being "stitched up" for his outspoken views.

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"He got close to the target," McNabb wrote at the time. "And he has a big audience. I know people who were in his orbit and girls were throwing themselves at him every night."

Brand was sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of rape.

Russell Brand was sentenced to 10 years and six months behind bars (Image: Getty Images)

McNabb went on to say, "If that happened to me I know what I'd do. If you want to hang out with the artist don't cry when you're in the picture. All the chicks who turn up at these situations know exactly what's going on."

He also wrote, "The ones who decided they were done badly to - ten years after the event - are the worst."

McNabb's defense of Brand infuriated several venue owners who had scheduled his upcoming British tour dates, leading to his forthcoming appearance at Mundell Music at the Green Hotel in Kinross, Scotland, being scrapped. "Please note. The show with Ian McNabb on Sat 28th November has been cancelled," reads a post on the venue's Facebook account.

Ian McNabb says he's been 'canceled' (Image: Getty)

Promoter Renegade Communications subsequently announced the cancellation of multiple McNabb shows, citing his troubling comments.

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"I hate cancelling gigs, and it's the first time in my career that I've had to do it, but not only can I not defend Ian McNabb's disgraceful social media comments in support of Russell Brand, as a husband and a father of a young daughter, I simply can't work with him moving forward," the Facebook post reads.

"I've spoken to his agent and to the venues, and we're all on the same page on this, and these won't be the only shows on his tour that are cancelled. I'm told another five were cancelled today," it added.

The post continued, "As a result, Ian McNabb's shows later this month at The Cluny 2 in Newcastle (25.11.26), Cottiers, Glasgow (26.11.26) and The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh (27.11.26) have all been cancelled."

McNabb ultimately disclosed that he and his upcoming shows were "canceled," attempting to offer both an explanation and an apology, which have since been removed from his social media accounts.

"In no way did I mean to cause offence to those who have been abused sexually either recently or in past times, however long ago," he stated in the since-deleted post.

"I have committed no crime to my knowledge, but understand the upset I have caused."

If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673) or visit its website to receive confidential support.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”