Georgina Baillie, the granddaughter of actor Andrew Sachs, has said that Russell Brand paid for her to attend rehab after the 2008 Sachsgate scandal, and that she hopes his fortune will be used to help his victims.
In a new interview, Baillie, now 41, described Brand as "a seriously unwell sex addict". Brand was found guilty of rape and sexual assault on Thursday.
Sachsgate scandal details
The controversy began in 2008 when Brand broadcast lewd answerphone messages he left for Andrew Sachs, who had failed to appear on a Radio 2 show, about his granddaughter. In the messages, Brand said, "Andrew Sachs, Andrew Sachs. I said something I didn't have oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter. But it was consensual and she wasn't menstrual, it was consensual lovely sex. It was full of respect, I sent her a text, I've asked her to marry me, Andrew Sachs."
At the time, Baillie was part of a burlesque dance troupe called the 'Satanic Sluts'. The scandal cost her the relationship with Sachs, and she only saw him once before his death in 2016 aged 86.
Rehab and relapse
Baillie claims that following the Radio 2 scandal, Brand apologised and paid for her to attend a rehab in 2018 in Staffordshire, where she spent six months. She later relapsed.
She said of the incident, "It was bullying towards my grandfather. Regardless of if I'm the biggest whore in the whole world, it doesn't matter. It's still bullying… I thought I'm already a whore in your eyes so let's give you whore then. It made me feel like, it doesn't matter what I do now."
She added, "The drink and drugs were always a part of my life, but it wasn't until many years later that it peaked. I numbed out for years with booze and drugs and boys, whatever."
Life after addiction
Baillie is now six years clean and works as an artist and hosts a podcast focused on addiction issues. While she is grateful to Brand for helping her fight addiction, she hopes his £16m fortune can be used to help his victims.
She said, "He's been found guilty. He needs to make the amends. Owning up would be the first part of the amends and the second part would be whatever measures are necessary to put these girls back together."
