Reality TV personality Katie Price accused her former husband's barrister of "discrimination" and declared "I won't have anybody call me a liar" during a furious confrontation at his rape trial. Kieran Hayler, 39, faces three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl in West Sussex in 2016.
Courtroom confrontation
During her cross-examination at Lewes Crown Court on Wednesday, Ms Price told Hayler's barrister Arlette Piercy: "It was all wrong what he did. He's just a wrong'un, I know he's done stuff with the [complainant], I got the messages. You shouldn't turn this case against me. The real reason why we're here is what he's done to a child, not me."
In a fiery exchange, Ms Price challenged Ms Piercy: "Are you calling me a liar?" Ms Piercy replied: "I am." A furious Ms Price hit back: "I don't need to be here. You can see in black and white something's gone on. I won't have anybody call me a liar."
Hayler's defence and background
Hayler refutes the charges and claims his former wife had "launched a campaign" against him following the breakdown of their marriage, with the allegations forming part of this vendetta, the court heard. He was wed to Ms Price when the alleged incidents occurred, before their relationship crumbled in 2018 and they divorced in 2021. Ms Price branded the allegations against her ex-husband as "disgusting".
Ms Piercy confronted Ms Price that she kept "going on about it" despite promising not to, prompting Ms Price to retort: "Too right – it's disgusting. But I never went to the press, never. Never once went to the media about it, never once went to the police about it – that was [the complainant], not me."
Further exchanges and evidence
During a brief cross-examination on Wednesday, Ms Piercy brought up "cocaine and booze benders", to which the media personality retorted: "That's discrimination. Everyone knows I self-medicated on coke due to Kieran introducing it. You are wrong and trying to discriminate me. The press know it all because of my journey. I ended up in therapy and tried to kill myself twice. You're not going to slander my name. I don't care if you are a barrister, you are not going to slander my name like that. I don't need to sit here like a therapy session."
Ms Price has finished giving her evidence from behind a screen over three days in the trial on Wednesday. She previously denied harbouring any "angry and vengeful" feelings towards her ex-husband, and refuted any ill-will towards him following a 10-month affair with their nanny. The jury heard that Ms Price had selected the nanny because she "wasn't very attractive" and a "little bit overweight", hoping that Hayler would not be unfaithful to her.
On Tuesday, Ms Piercy suggested to Ms Price: "You are angry and vengeful towards the defendant Kieran Hayler, you have evidenced a vendetta against him over a number of years." Ms Price responded: "That is not true." When pressed by Ms Piercy about her opinion of her ex-husband, Ms Price stated: "I don't have any venom against Kieran, it was amicable when we split."
The court previously heard that Ms Price had sent a message to the teenage girl who was allegedly raped by her then-husband, stating she had heard that Hayler and the girl had kissed and he had "tried it on" with her, later adding: "I will make you a little star." During cross-examination by Ms Piercy about her occasional use of the phrase "little star", she responded: "That's a figure of speech." When asked what she meant by this, she added: "I don't know, when she was 13 there's no agenda or nothing behind it. It's just a figure of speech."
Judge's warning and trial status
In other developments on Wednesday morning, Judge Mark van der Zwart cautioned celebrity Ms Price not to discuss her beliefs about her ex-husband's behaviours with anyone other than the complainant during cross-examination. This warning followed her telling jurors on Tuesday that there were "other kids that haven't come forward". Addressing her in front of the jury, the judge said: "When you're being asked questions today please would you not mention any beliefs you may have whether Kieran Hayler has behaved inappropriately with anyone else apart from [the complainant]."
Neither the alleged victim nor Ms Price are part of Hayler's extended family. The trial continues.
