Andy Carroll has revealed that his girlfriend, Lou Teasdale, has been a supportive figure for the footballer as he bravely opened up about being sexually assaulted. The 37-year-old, who plays for Dagenham and Redbridge, has waived his right to anonymity in his memoir, Owning It.
While the former Liverpool star has said he had been "avoiding" discussing the topic, he disclosed that he turned to his girlfriend, Lou, for support as he relived the traumatic experience. In his memoir, Andy says there are things that he would "like to forget", but sadly, he "can't" — including the time he was sexually assaulted.
A difficult confession
Andy admits he even debated whether to open up to his hairstylist, Lou, about the incident. But while he never disclosed the incident to his parents or therapist, he did tell Lou within just weeks of meeting her. Since the pair started dating in June 2024, several months after he split from reality star Billi Mucklow, Lou and Andy have been inseparable.
Although they initially kept their relationship under wraps, they went public, confirming their romance in September of the same year. Despite having a turbulent relationship, he has described the hair stylist and BLEACH London founder as the "love of my life". A source previously said: "Andy is totally obsessed with Lou."
Reliving the trauma
In his memoir, Andy writes: "Something happened to me a few years ago that was so traumatic I only decided to include it in this book at the very last minute. I was sexually assaulted, there I said it. Scary to even think about, and only a few people knew about it before now." Andy goes on to say that he and Lou "spent a lot of time" debating whether to mention the incident in his memoir.
But while Andy says reliving the traumatic incident was "scary," he says it has made him the person he is today. "And if me talking about it helps just one person then good it will have been worth it," he wrote.
The incident and its aftermath
He writes that the incident took place on the evening he played a game for Newcastle "down south". His former partner had encouraged Andy to invite a "celebrity mate" around to watch a boxing match and stay in their spare room. However, although Andy knew the man, he says the man gave him "the creeps" and would often bombard him with messages.
Andy says he felt "light-headed" after having "a few drinks" before deciding to go to bed. He was woken up by the man attempting to assault him, under the bed sheets. It was at this point that Andy threw him out of the home and hit him "as hard as he could" when he attempted to re-enter. The man fell unconscious, leaving Andy "sobbing in [his children's] nanny's arms," fearing he may have killed the man.
The attacker denied the allegations but was ultimately charged with sexual offences by the police and sentenced to three years in prison. He was also placed on the National Sex Offender Register and banned from entering the village where Carroll lived at the time.
