Katie Price Told Her Ex-Husband's Alleged Rape Accuser 'I Will Make You a Little Star', Court Hears

The trial of Kieran Hayler, the former husband of television personality Katie Price, continued at Lewes Crown Court this week, where jurors were shown a series of messages exchanged between Price and a teenage girl who alleges she was raped by Hayler in 2016. Hayler, who was married to Price at the time of the allegations, faces three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against the complainant, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged offences in West Sussex. He denies all charges.

The court heard that Price contacted the girl, who was 14 when the messages were sent, after apparently learning of an allegation involving Hayler. In the messages shown to the jury, Price stated that she had heard Hayler and the girl had kissed and that he had "tried it on" with her. Price pressed the teenager for information, writing: "I'm only asking as this is a serious allegation."

According to the messages presented in court, the girl responded by describing the incident as "just a flirt thing" and insisted that "nothing happened." Price then asked directly: "Did he kiss you? I won't bring up anymore just want truth. I will make you a little star." The message has become a focal point in the cross-examination of the complainant, who is now an adult.

When questioned by the defence about why she had told Price that nothing had happened, the complainant explained that she was "trying to brush it off." Asked what she understood Price to mean by the phrase "I will make you a little star," the woman told the jury: "I don't think I said anything. I think I just ignored it." The exchange raises questions about the nature of Price's communication with the alleged victim and her motivations for reaching out.

In further testimony, the complainant stated that she had deleted "I love you" text messages that she had exchanged with Hayler after he allegedly instructed her to remove them. The court had previously heard that following the third alleged rape, Hayler sent her a message saying "I love you goodnight," to which she replied: "I love you too." Defence barrister Arlette Piercy told the court that it was not accepted on Hayler's behalf that such messages had ever been sent to the complainant.

The complainant responded that the messages were "deleted, long gone, years ago." When asked directly whether she had been the one to delete them, she confirmed: "Yes, I did. Kieran Hayler was asking to delete my messages." This admission forms part of the defence's argument that the complainant may have fabricated or embellished elements of her account.

Piercy put it to the complainant that the alleged rapes and sexual assault never took place. The woman rejected this suggestion emphatically, telling the jury: "I would never make it up." Her denial underscores the central conflict in the trial, which hinges on the credibility of the complainant's testimony against Hayler's insistence that the allegations are false.

The court also heard that Hayler and Price were married at the time of the alleged offences, but their relationship broke down in 2018 and they divorced in 2021. Hayler's defence team has suggested that Price "launched a campaign" against him when their marriage ended, and that the allegations formed part of that campaign. This line of argument attempts to cast doubt on the timing and motivation behind the accusations, which surfaced years after the alleged incidents.

The alleged victim is not part of Hayler or Price's extended families, the court was told. This detail is significant because it rules out certain familial motivations or relationships that might otherwise be relevant to the case. The trial continues, with further evidence expected to be heard in the coming days.

The case has attracted considerable media attention due to Hayler's high-profile marriage to Price, a well-known British media personality and former model. Price, who has been married three times, has not been charged with any offence in relation to the matter, but her communications with the complainant have become a subject of scrutiny in the courtroom. The messages she sent to the teenager could be relevant to the defence's argument that the allegations were encouraged or manufactured.

Legal experts note that cases involving historical allegations of sexual abuse against minors are often complex, particularly when they involve public figures and delayed reporting. Juries are typically instructed to consider the evidence carefully and to weigh the credibility of witnesses against the passage of time and any potential motives for false accusations. The burden of proof remains on the prosecution to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

The trial at Lewes Crown Court is expected to continue over the coming days, with further testimony from witnesses and potentially from the defendant himself. Hayler has consistently denied the charges and has suggested that his ex-wife's campaign against him following their divorce is at the root of the allegations. The jury will ultimately decide whether the prosecution has presented sufficient evidence to convict him on any of the four counts.

As the proceedings unfold, the spotlight remains on the messages exchanged between Price and the complainant, particularly the "little star" comment, which the defence may argue demonstrates an attempt by Price to influence or encourage the alleged victim's account. The complainant's explanation that she ignored the message and was trying to brush off the situation will be weighed against the broader evidence in the case. The trial continues.