Georgina Baillie urges Russell Brand to admit guilt after rape conviction

Georgina Baillie, who was formerly involved with Russell Brand, has called on the comedian to "tell the truth" after he was convicted of rape and three sexual assault charges. Baillie, an actress, was at the centre of the 2008 'Sachsgate' broadcasting scandal involving Brand and Jonathan Ross.

The scandal erupted when Brand and Ross made lewd voicemails to Baillie's grandfather, the late Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs. During the prank call on BBC Radio 2, Ross stated that Brand had slept with Baillie. The incident generated thousands of complaints and drew significant public criticism.

Support during rehabilitation

Despite the public fallout from 'Sachsgate', Baillie revealed that Brand had provided financial support for her to attend a rehabilitation facility in 2018. Baillie has previously credited this intervention with saving her life.

"The most important thing is to admit your mistakes and correct them as much as you can," Baillie stated, referring to the court's findings. "Now if they've proven that he's done these things... that's what needs to happen. He needs to make amends."

Reaction to allegations

When allegations against Brand first emerged in 2023, following a joint investigation by Channel 4's Dispatches, The Times, and The Sunday Times, Baillie admitted she found them difficult to accept. She told The Standard: "I just found it really, really tricky to associate him with any form of aggression toward a girl, because he worshipped girls."

Baillie added that any woman who has experienced abuse deserves to be heard. She also noted the personal difficulty in reconciling her memory of Brand with the court's verdict, given his past support for her. "He saved my life. I'll be honest, if I didn't go to rehab, then I'd probably be dead. So I owe my life to him for that," she said.

However, she maintained her stance on accountability. "But the most important thing is to admit your mistakes and correct them as much as you can. I'm really sad that he's been found guilty because I really thought that I had a better judge of character than this, but I am open-minded enough to know that I can be wrong." Baillie concluded by expressing sympathy for the accusers and victims, hoping they find healing.