Katie Price's Ex-Husband Allegedly Told Teenage Accuser to 'Take It to the Grave,' Rape Trial Hears

Kieran Hayler, the former husband of British media personality Katie Price, allegedly instructed a teenage girl to keep their encounters secret, telling her to "take it to the grave," a jury at Lewes Crown Court has heard. Hayler, 39, is standing trial accused of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against a complainant who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged offences in West Sussex in 2016. He denies all charges.

The court was shown a recorded police interview in which the complainant, now an adult, described the alleged abuse through tears. She told officers she had initially lied to her mother about the nature of what had happened because she feared being judged. "I didn't want her to think I was disgusting," she said, explaining that she eventually told her mother Hayler had touched her but stopped short of disclosing sexual intercourse, worried that "maybe I'd led him on."

The complainant also described a phone call she said she received from Hayler two or three years after the alleged incidents. According to her account, he asked whether she promised not to tell anyone, described what had happened as "special," and warned her to "take it to the grave." She recalled him suggesting that speaking out could get her into trouble or end badly for her, though she told police she had not felt frightened of him at the time.

In her police interview, the complainant described how she processed the alleged abuse as a child, saying she believed Hayler cared about her and therefore would not do anything horrible. She said the way he framed the encounters led her to view them as a positive thing. "At the time I thought he really cares about me so he's not doing something horrible… because of the way he described it, he said it was a good thing," she told officers.

The court heard that the complainant experienced lasting psychological and behavioural effects following the alleged offences. She remembered taking as many as four showers a day and said her mother recalled her constantly washing and changing her underwear multiple times daily. "I definitely remember thinking he's a lot older than me, is this something he should be doing?" she said. "I remember crying and wondering if it should have been happening."

After the jury viewed the video of her police interview, the alleged victim gave evidence in person, speaking from behind a screen. When asked whether she remembered anything else, she described a message she said Hayler sent her following the third alleged incident, which read, "I love you, goodnight." She told the court she replied, "I love you too."

The investigation into Hayler began in 2021, when the complainant contacted the NSPCC, which referred her to police. Hayler was first interviewed by officers in January 2022. According to the court, he denied that any of the allegations took place and denied that anything sexual occurred.

At the time of the alleged offences, Hayler was married to Katie Price, a well-known British media personality. The couple's relationship broke down in 2018, and they divorced in 2021. The court heard that Hayler has suggested his ex-wife "launched a campaign" against him when their marriage ended and that the allegations form part of that campaign. The complainant is not a member of either Hayler's or Price's extended families.

Price is expected to testify as a witness during the trial, which is anticipated to last approximately one week. Her potential evidence could prove significant, as the defence appears to be constructing an argument that the allegations emerged from the acrimonious breakdown of the marriage rather than from genuine events. The prosecution, meanwhile, will seek to demonstrate that the complainant's account has remained consistent and that her delayed disclosure is consistent with the behaviour of many survivors of childhood sexual abuse.

The case highlights the complex dynamics that often surround historical sexual abuse allegations, particularly when they involve public figures. Delayed reporting is common among survivors, who may take years to come forward because of shame, fear, self-blame, or a belief that they will not be believed. The complainant's testimony that she initially concealed the sexual nature of the alleged abuse from her mother reflects a pattern frequently observed in such cases, where children may internalise responsibility for what happened to them.

The trial continues at Lewes Crown Court, where the jury will ultimately decide whether the prosecution has proven its case beyond reasonable doubt. Hayler has pleaded not guilty to all four counts and maintains that the allegations are untrue. The proceedings are expected to include further testimony from the complainant as well as from other witnesses, with the defence and prosecution both presenting their accounts of events that allegedly occurred nearly a decade ago.