Brene Brown stops her Spotify-exclusive podcasts in apparent protest of Joe Rogan

The latest turn in the Neil Young vs. Joe Rogan drama on Spotify shifted from a musician to a star podcaster on Saturday afternoon when Dr. Brene Brown announced on Twitter that she would cease production on her two Spotify-exclusive podcasts, Unlocking Us and Dare to Lead. Spotify acquired exclusive distribution of both shows in September, 2020.

I will not be releasing any podcasts until further notice. To our #UnlockingUs and #DaretoLead communities, I’m sorry and I’ll let you know if and when that changes,” Brown stated in an enigmatic tweet. The mysterious explanation seemed to assume understanding of her motivation, and the quick flow of replies did connect Brown’s action with the Young/Rogan/Spotify controversy. In six hours Brown’s message had been retweeted over 1,600 times. Many supportive responses were mixed with some disagreements. 

More on this — and, we expect, on other acts of protest — as it develops. (We don’t take a side, but we expect continued activism around Spotify’s hands-off management of Joe Rogan’s show.) 

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Brad Hill