Jason Russell (born circa 1979) is an American film director, and activist. He is responsible for the film Kony 2012 and its attendant campaign. Kony 2012 went viral in the beginning of March 2012. In the first week it gained over 60,000,000 views. Its subject is the African rebel leader Joseph Kony, his war crimes, and the movement to bring him to the International Criminal Court. Kony 2012
Russell graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.[citation needed] He co-founded Invisible Children, Inc. Russell is an Evangelical Christian, and in November 2011 he spoke publicly about his faith and its relation to his charity work in a speech at a Liberty University conference.[1]
On March 15, 2012, ten days after the launch of the Kony 2012 campaign, Russell was detained by San Diego police and hospitalized after they said he was found in the street nude, screaming, interfering with traffic, and masturbating. A 12-second video of a portion of the alleged incident appeared on TMZ.[2] Article on Jason Russell Meltdown
Police said Russell was detained and taken to a medical facility for treatment. “It’s our belief that a medical condition would explain his irrational behavior as opposed to criminal intent,” said Lt. Andra Brown, the spokeswoman. “If we thought he was under the influence, we wouldn’t have taken him to a hospital; we would have taken him to jail.”[3]
In response, Invisible Children claimed: "Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition. He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better. The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday. Jason’s passion and his work have done so much to help so many, and we are devastated to see him dealing with this personal health issue. We will always love and support Jason, and we ask that you give his entire family privacy during this difficult time."[4]
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