Katie Price has arrived at Lewes Crown Court to give evidence in the trial of her former husband, Kieran Hayler, who denies raping a 13-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her in 2016.
The 48-year-old model and television personality is expected to take the witness stand on Monday afternoon, October 12, as the court continues to hear evidence in the case.
Hayler, 39, faces three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to alleged incidents involving the girl, who is now in her early 20s.
He denies all the charges.
Hayler Claims Allegations Were Made Up
Jurors have heard that Hayler believes he was deliberately targeted by Price following the breakdown of their marriage.
When the trial opened, the defence indicated that he would argue the allegations were fabricated as part of a campaign against him by his former wife.
Hayler has maintained his innocence since being interviewed by police in January 2022.
During that interview, he denied the allegations and said no sexual activity of the kind described had taken place.
Sussex Police previously confirmed that he had been charged with three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The alleged offences are said to have occurred at an address in West Sussex between June 1 and October 13, 2016.
Complainant Describes Messages From Hayler
The complainant told the court last Tuesday that Hayler sent her a text message after the third alleged rape, writing, “I love you goodnight.”
She said she responded, “I love you too.”
The allegations first came to the attention of authorities in 2021, when the complainant contacted the NSPCC.
The charity subsequently referred the matter to police, prompting an investigation.
The girl cannot be identified for legal reasons and has received support from specially trained police officers, according to an earlier statement from Sussex Police.
Complainant’s Mother Denies Price Influenced Her
The complainant’s mother also gave evidence, telling jurors that her daughter liked the way Hayler spoke to her.
She recalled her daughter saying that Hayler had told her he had no friends and that she could be his best friend.
“She liked the way he spoke to her,” the mother told the court.
The mother was questioned about why she had not disclosed the allegations to anyone else until after Price contacted social services in 2018.
She explained that she wanted to preserve her daughter’s confidence and was concerned about the consequences of telling her husband.
“I had to keep her secret and her trust,” she said, adding that she did not want her daughter to experience what might follow from the disclosure.
The witness rejected suggestions that Price had influenced her decision to attend court.
She also said her daughter had no interest in becoming a celebrity.
Text Messages Between Price and the Girl Read to Jury
Messages exchanged between Price and the complainant in May 2017 were previously presented to the jury.
The conversation concerned rumours about Hayler and whether he had shown romantic interest in the girl.
The complainant, who was 14 at the time, told the court she could not remember the exchange.
However, jurors heard that Price asked whether Hayler fancied her and whether he had tried to kiss her.
In one message, Price wrote: “I won’t say anything and I promise I’ll protect you. I’m only asking as this is a serious allegation to say.”
The girl reportedly responded that it had been a flirtation and that Hayler knew it was wrong, adding that nothing had happened.
Price then wrote that she would not raise the subject again but wanted the truth, before telling the girl she would make her “a little star”.
The messages were also raised during the complainant’s mother’s testimony.
Asked by defence barrister Arlette Piercy about the exchange and the suggestion that Price had offered to help the girl become famous, the mother reiterated that her daughter was not interested in stardom.
The defence also challenged the mother over her knowledge of the allegations and whether she had taken them seriously.
She responded that she had believed her daughter.
Price and Hayler’s Marriage
Price and Hayler met in 2012, and he proposed to her on Christmas Day that year.
They married at a luxury resort in the Caribbean in 2013 and remained married until their separation and subsequent divorce proceedings, which concluded in 2021.
Price, a mother of five, became widely known through modelling and reality television, while Hayler also appeared on television during their relationship.
The complainant is not a member of the extended family of either Price or Hayler.
Hayler Maintains His Innocence
In a previous statement, a representative for Hayler said he strongly denied the allegations in their entirety.
The representative said Hayler had engaged with the investigation and cooperated with police, adding that he believed the judicial process would clear his name.
Sussex Police confirmed the charges in a separate statement, identifying Hayler as being from Northchapel, West Sussex, and stating that the investigation had involved allegations of rape and sexual assault against a girl who was 13 at the time.
Hayler denies all three rape charges and the sexual assault charge.
The trial continues at Lewes Crown Court.
