10 Photos of Georgina Baillie: Russell Brand's Ex Says He Saved Her Life but Left Her Feeling Betrayed

Georgina Baillie, Russell Brand's former lover, has described feeling betrayed by the comedian following his rape and sexual assault convictions in London. Writing for The Telegraph on Sunday, 8 November, she recalled how the man who once helped save her life had also caused her considerable pain.

The revelations followed Thursday's verdict at Southwark Crown Court, where Brand, 51, was convicted of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He had denied all the charges.

The jury also acquitted him of two further counts of rape and one count of attempted indecent assault. For Baillie, the verdict challenged her longstanding belief in someone she had known intimately.

Georgina Baillie Says Russell Brand 'Saved My Life' but Betrayed Her Again

Baillie admitted that her feelings towards Brand remained complicated despite the public humiliation she endured following the prank calls to her grandfather, Andrew Sachs.

She explained that she had retained a protective view of him because he helped save her life by arranging rehabilitation when she was struggling with alcohol and drug addiction. Brand funded her rehabilitation treatment in 2018, helping Baillie confront an addiction she feared might otherwise have killed her.

'Despite trying to shame me the way he did in those phone messages to my grandfather – he also saved my life,' Baillie wrote.

However, according to her account, gratitude became difficult to reconcile with the jury's findings.

'I couldn't see it and now I feel betrayed by him all over again,' Baillie wrote, reflecting on her previous willingness to believe Brand's claims of innocence.

Before the trial, the pair met again, and Brand personally apologised for his earlier treatment of her. According to Baillie, he also assured her that the allegations against him were untrue.

She subsequently agreed to share her experiences with his lawyer. Her account, however, was limited to what she knew personally, rather than the incidents examined in court.

Following the verdict, she urged Brand to acknowledge his wrongdoing and apologise to the women he had harmed. Her position was particularly striking because she had previously defended his character.

Georgina Baillie and Russell Brand's Relationship Before Sachsgate

Baillie's involvement with Brand dates back to the period before the notorious 2008 BBC Radio 2 scandal.

The granddaughter of Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs met Brand through a mutual friend. Their relationship was casual, although Baillie later described their involvement as spanning an on-and-off period.

In a 2008 interview with The Guardian, she recalled meeting Brand just four times during their initial involvement. Their romantic connection had ended before the scandal became public.

That October, Brand and Jonathan Ross left sexually explicit messages on Sachs's answerphone. The recordings, subsequently broadcast on BBC Radio 2, exposed Baillie's private relationship to millions.

The backlash led to Brand's resignation from Radio 2 and Ross's suspension from the BBC. Media regulator Ofcom subsequently fined the BBC £150,000.

Baillie later described the humiliation and unwanted publicity that followed, including criticism directed at her rather than the broadcasters responsible.

Years later, Brand's financial support helped her enter rehabilitation, creating a relationship marked by both resentment and gratitude.

Now, following his conviction, Baillie has publicly acknowledged the painful contradiction between the man who helped her recover and the man found guilty in court.