Artist and actress Georgina Baillie, a former lover of Russell Brand and a central figure in the 2008 'Sachsgate' scandal, has called on the comedian to "tell the truth" and "admit his mistakes" after he was found guilty of rape and three counts of sexual assault.
Baillie, who previously considered Brand a savior for paying for her rehabilitation in 2018, stated that she had been wrong to trust him. "The most important thing is to admit your mistakes and correct them as much as you can," Baillie told 5 News. "Now if they've proven that he's done these things... that's what needs to happen. He needs to make amends."
The jury convicted Brand on Thursday of raping a 21-year-old fan after a 2009 gig and sexually assaulting three other women between 2004 and 2013. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges. The jury cleared him of two further counts of rape and one charge of attempted indecent assault.
In 2008, Brand and Jonathan Ross left lewd messages for Baillie's grandfather, Andrew Sachs, a star of the 1970s comedy Fawlty Towers, which became known as 'Sachsgate.' The prank call, broadcast on BBC Radio 2, resulted in a public backlash and condemnation from then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Baillie, who has spoken about her own experiences as a survivor of sexual abuse and her struggles with addiction, admitted it was difficult to reconcile the Brand convicted in court with the man she thought she knew. "It's really hard to let go of the need for someone to be on that pedestal in your memory," she said, recalling that Brand had saved her life by funding her rehab. "But the most important thing is to admit your mistakes and correct them as much as you can."
She expressed sadness at the guilty verdict, stating, "I'm really sad that he's been found guilty because I really thought that, like, I had a better judge of character than this." However, she added, "I am open-minded enough to know that I can be wrong. I'm okay with being wrong."
Baillie also conveyed sympathy for the accusers and victims, should their claims be proven. "I feel a lot of sympathy for the accusers and the victims if they've been proven. I really hope that they can find some healing," she said.
Brand, 51, faces potential jail time after the convictions. The trial heard details of the rape of the 21-year-old fan at his Hampstead home, where she reported being left bleeding and ordered to clean up. Further accusations of rape involving two other women, including a 16-year-old schoolgirl, are being considered by the Crown Prosecution Service.
The allegations against Brand first gained widespread attention in 2023 following a joint investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches and The Times and Sunday Times, which detailed accusations of rape and sexual assaults occurring between 2006 and 2013.