Katie Price has denied being “angry and vengeful” towards her former husband, Kieran Hayler, who is accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl.
The media personality gave evidence for a second day from behind a screen during Hayler’s trial at Lewes Crown Court in East Sussex.
Hayler, 39, denies three charges of rape and one of sexual assault relating to an alleged incident involving a teenager in West Sussex in 2016.
During cross-examination, Price, 48, rejected the suggestion that she had been “angry and vengeful” towards her former husband and had pursued a vendetta against him.
She also told the court she had not followed media coverage of the trial because she had been “handcuffed to Suella Braverman all week” while appearing on a Channel 4 programme.
Hayler’s barrister, Arlette Piercy, asked Price during her evidence whether she “loved revenge or is it just TV?”
Price replied: “It’s TV, it’s what I say. It’s what drives me in my work.”
Ms Piercy then told her: “You are angry and vengeful towards the defendant Kieran Hayler – you have evidenced a vendetta against him over a number of years.”
Katie Price arrives at Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday morning
Kieran Hayler outside Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday morning; he denies the charges
Price responded: “That is not true.”
Asked whether she had been monitoring reports about the trial, Price said: “No, because I’ve been handcuffed to Suella Braverman all week” – a reference to the Channel 4 programme Celebrity Handcuffed and the former Conservative Home Secretary, who is now a Reform UK MP.
Price added: “I haven’t followed any reports.”
On Monday, she told the court that she had confronted Hayler and asked whether he had “done stuff” with the 13-year-old girl.
Price also described exchanging messages with the alleged victim, telling jurors that she could tell from the messages that the girl was “afraid”.
Earlier in the trial, jurors heard that Hayler believes he has been set up by his former wife.
The investigation began after the alleged victim contacted the NSPCC in 2021. The charity subsequently referred the matter to police.
Police first interviewed Hayler in January 2022. He denied that any of the allegations had occurred and said nothing sexual had taken place.
Asked about messages exchanged with the complainant, Price said: “I can’t remember the exact messages but it was that Kieran had tried to kiss her, that he had done stuff to her.”
Kieran Hayler and Katie Price pictured together at a London film premiere in November 2015
Mother-of-five Ms Price, seen outside Lewes Crown Court on Tuesday, was married to Hayler between 2013 and 2021
She was giving evidence for a second day at the trial of her ex-husband Kieran Hayler
Pressed on what was said, Ms Price told the court: ‘Definitely a kiss and that he said he loved her.
‘I wanted to get information out of (the complainant) because it’s serious. I could tell that she was, like, afraid.’
Ms Price said she was ‘really shocked’ by the allegations about her then-husband, telling jurors: ‘I was shocked – like, really shocked. It was a different kettle of fish, it’s a child.’
Asked by prosecutor Ryan Richter what Hayler’s response was when confronted, Ms Price said: ‘I can’t remember his response but his response all the time was, “No, I hadn’t”.’
She said she did not speak to the girl about the allegations face-to-face, and was asked whether she asked her to report it to the police.
Ms Price added: ‘I was going through it myself. I was having a breakdown at that point. I had to go in the Priory.’
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Giving evidence to jurors last Tuesday, the complainant told the court that Hayler texted her after the third alleged rape, saying, ‘I love you goodnight,’ and she replied: ‘I love you too.’
Jurors heard when the trial opened on Monday last week that Hayler would say Ms Price made up the allegations as part of a campaign against him.
Hayler believes the allegations were ‘created’ and he was being ‘set up’ after the breakdown of their marriage.
The alleged victim’s mother last week told jurors her daughter liked the way Mr Hayler talked to her, saying: ‘She said he told her he didn’t have any friends and she could be his best friend. She liked the way he spoke to her.’
Asked why she did not tell anybody else about the rape allegations until after Ms Price contacted social services in 2018, the mother said: ‘I had to keep her secret and her trust.
‘I couldn’t tell my husband because I knew what the consequences would be. I didn’t want any of this for her.’
The mother has denied she was influenced by Katie Price to come to court and said her daughter was not interested in becoming a celebrity.
In a text message exchange between Ms Price and the girl, the jury heard Ms Price offered to make her a ‘little star’.
The messages were read out to her mother during her second day in the witness box.
Arlette Piercy, for the defence, asked the mother if she was aware of the messages.
The witness replied: ‘My daughter wasn’t interested in becoming a star.’
Ms Piercy challenged the mother on what she knew about the allegations and when, asking: ‘You didn’t believe anything had happened, did you, and you didn’t do anything about it did you?’
The mother replied: ‘Yes, I did. I believed my daughter.’
Messages sent in May 2017 between the alleged victim and Ms Price were last week read to the jury, in which Price asked her about rumours regarding Hayler.
The complainant said she did not remember the exchange, but the court was told Price asked her whether Mr Hayler fancied her and if he 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, then aged 14, replied: ‘It was just a flirt thing and he knew it was wrong. Nothing happened.’
Price replied: ‘I won’t bring up any more, just want truth. I will make you a little star.’
Former reality TV star Hayler met Ms Price in 2012 and proposed on Christmas Day. They married at a luxury Caribbean resort the following year.
In a previous statement, Sussex Police said: ‘We can confirm Kieran Hayler, of Northchapel, West Sussex, has been charged with three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl.
‘The offences are alleged to have occurred at an address in West Sussex between June 1 and October 13, 2016.
‘The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has received support from specially trained officers as our enquiries continue.’
A spokesman for Hayler has previously said: ‘Kieran Hayler strongly denies the allegations made against him in their entirety.
‘Mr Hayler is fully engaged and has been co-operating with the police throughout the investigation and will continue to do so.
‘He looks forward to his name being cleared, believing in the judicial system to do so.’
The alleged victim is not part of Hayler or Ms Price’s extended families.
Hayler denies rape and sexual assault. The trial at Lewes Crown Court continues.