Andrew Sachs’ Granddaughter Says She Feels Betrayed by Russell Brand
Georgina Baillie, granddaughter of Andrew Sachs, says she was shocked by Russell Brand's rape and sexual assault convictions. Brand is due to be sentenced on Monday, November 9, as ministers press the entertainment industry to protect women.
Georgina Baillie, the granddaughter of Andrew Sachs, says she was "totally shocked" when Russell Brand was found guilty of rape and sexual assault. Brand is due to be sentenced on Monday, November 9.
She had a brief, casual relationship with him nearly two decades ago. In a first-person account, she says she now feels "betrayed by him all over again".
A relationship and a phone call
She says she was 23 when she met Brand, around 2005 or 2006. She was in a dance troupe called Satanic Sluts. The relationship lasted about a year and a half and ended without drama, she says.
A couple of months later, she heard about the phone call Brand made to her grandfather. In it, Brand and Jonathan Ross left lewd messages about her relationship with Brand.
"No young girl wants to hear that kind of thing," she says. She immediately feared the consequences for her and her family. She says she was made to feel shame, and that she spent the next 10 years feeling numb and returning to drink and drugs.
Recovery and a conflicted view
Her recovery began after a 12-step addiction programme and a stay at a Priory clinic in early 2017. She says she will mark seven years clean and sober next Pancake Day. She now hosts a podcast called Hope, where she hears from others who have come through similar problems.
Her feelings about Brand are not simple. She says he sent her to rehab when she could not stop drinking and taking drugs, and that "he also saved my life".
She says she met Brand again while he faced the rape and sexual assault charges. He told her he was innocent, and she wanted to believe him. He asked her to speak to his lawyer on his behalf, and she gave them her experience of him.
"I certainly don't believe now that he is innocent and what he does next is very important," she says. She has also heard that more women are thought to have come forward with allegations.
Government and industry response
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy warned that the entertainment industry is not "doing enough" to protect women. Her comments featured on Monday's front pages.
Newspaper reports on Monday also said Brand has moved almost £9m out of one of his companies, and has transferred ownership of a £5m mansion to his wife. The reports said the moves could affect money available to his victims.
