Katie Price's Ex-Husband Told Teenager to 'Take It to the Grave' After Alleged Rape, Court Hears

Kieran Hayler, the former husband of television personality and media figure Katie Price, allegedly instructed a teenage girl to keep quiet about what had happened between them, telling her she should "take it to the grave," a jury at Lewes Crown Court has been told. The 39-year-old is standing trial accused of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, all alleged to have taken place in West Sussex in 2016. He denies every charge against him.

The complainant, who was 13 years old at the time of the alleged offences, gave her account to police in an interview that was recorded and later played to jurors. During that interview, she broke down in tears as she described the difficulty of telling her mother the truth about what had allegedly occurred. She explained that she had initially told her mother only that Hayler had touched her, deliberately omitting any suggestion of sexual intercourse. Her reason, she said, was a profound fear of judgment: she "didn't want her to think I was disgusting."

The teenager told officers that for a long period she blamed herself for what had happened. "I thought it was my fault for ages," she said in the interview. She also voiced a fear that her mother might conclude she had encouraged the behaviour, saying she worried that "maybe I'd led him on." Such feelings of shame and self-blame are common among young people who allege sexual abuse, and the court heard how they had shaped the complainant's decision to stay silent for years.

According to the complainant, Hayler contacted her by telephone roughly two or three years after the alleged incidents. During that call, she said, he asked her to promise not to tell anyone. She recalled him saying something along the lines of: "You promise you won't tell anyone? What we had was special - you better take it to the grave." She also remembered him suggesting that speaking out might get her into trouble and that the situation could end badly for her. Despite those warnings, she told police she had not felt frightened of him at the time.

Asked by officers how she had felt in the aftermath of the three alleged rapes, the complainant described a confusing mixture of emotions. She said she had believed Hayler genuinely cared about her, and that this made it hard for her to see his behaviour as harmful. "At the time I thought he really cares about me so he's not doing something horrible," she told police, adding that "because of the way he described it, he said it was a good thing." This account reflects a pattern sometimes seen in cases involving young complainants, where affection or attention from an older figure can distort a child's understanding of what is happening to them.

The court also heard evidence about changes in the complainant's behaviour that followed the alleged offences. She remembered taking "four showers a day after that," and said her mother had noticed she was "always washing" and changing her underwear "several times" a day. She also recalled a persistent internal conflict, telling police: "I definitely remember thinking he's a lot older than me, is this something he should be doing?" She added: "I remember crying and wondering if it should have been happening."

After the video of her police interview was played to the jury, the alleged victim gave evidence in person, testifying from behind a screen in the courtroom. When asked whether she remembered anything further, she spoke about the third alleged incident. She told the court that Hayler had sent her a message saying, "I love you, goodnight," to which she replied, "I love you too." That exchange formed part of the evidence presented to the jury as they consider the sequence of events described by the complainant.

The investigation into Hayler began in 2021, when the complainant approached the NSPCC, the UK children's charity. The organisation referred her to Sussex Police, who then launched an inquiry. Hayler was first interviewed by officers in January 2022. In that interview, he denied that any of the alleged incidents had occurred and denied that anything sexual had taken place. He has consistently maintained his innocence since then, and his trial is now underway before a jury at the East Sussex court.

At the time of the alleged offences, Hayler was married to Katie Price, a well-known British media personality. The couple's relationship later broke down in 2018, and their divorce was finalised 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 now before the court form part of that campaign. The alleged victim is not a member of either Hayler's or Price's extended families, the jury was told.

Price herself is expected to appear as a witness during the trial, which is anticipated to last approximately one week. Her evidence may be relevant to the background of the case and to Hayler's claims about the circumstances in which the allegations emerged. The prosecution's case rests heavily on the complainant's testimony, the recorded police interview, and the account of the alleged phone call in which Hayler is said to have urged her to keep the matter secret.

The trial continues, with the jury expected to weigh the complainant's account against Hayler's denials. Cases of this nature often hinge on the credibility of testimony given years after the events in question, particularly where there is limited forensic or documentary evidence. Legal commentators note that juries are routinely directed to consider the age and vulnerability of complainants, as well as the psychological effects that can delay disclosure of alleged sexual offences.

The case has attracted significant media attention because of Hayler's former marriage to Price, a figure long familiar to British audiences through television and tabloid coverage. However, the proceedings at Lewes Crown Court are focused on the serious criminal allegations against Hayler, who faces a potential custodial sentence if convicted. For now, he remains presumed innocent, and the burden rests with the prosecution to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

As the hearing progresses, further witnesses are expected to give evidence, and the jury will ultimately decide whether the prosecution has made its case. The outcome will depend on their assessment of all the testimony, including the complainant's recollection of the alleged "take it to the grave" remark and the messages she says she received. The trial is scheduled to continue over the coming days.