Katie Price Told Teenager 'I Will Make You a Little Star' in Messages Read at Ex-Husband's Rape Trial

Messages exchanged between Katie Price and a teenage girl who alleges she was raped by Price's then-husband have been presented to a jury at Lewes Crown Court, where Kieran Hayler is standing trial on serious sexual offence charges.

Hayler, a former reality television personality who was married to Price at the time of the allegations, faces three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The complainant was 13 years old at the time of the alleged offences, which are said to have occurred in West Sussex in 2016. Hayler denies every charge against him and has entered not guilty pleas.

The court heard that Price, who was married to Hayler during the period in question, sent a series of messages to the girl after apparently learning of suggestions that something had happened between her and Hayler. In one message, Price told the teenager, "I will make you a little star," a remark that prosecutors and defence lawyers alike have focused on during the proceedings.

Jurors were shown the exchange in which Price said she had heard that Hayler and the girl had kissed and that he had "tried it on" with her. Price framed her questioning as a search for the truth, writing that she was "only asking as this is a serious allegation."

The girl, who was 14 at the time of the messages, responded that it had been "just a flirt thing" and that "nothing happened." In further messages, Price asked directly whether Hayler had kissed her and whether he had ever expressed that he liked or fancied her. The complainant replied that he had, but that she had taken it as a joke.

Giving evidence as an adult, the complainant was asked during cross-examination why she had told Price that nothing had happened. She explained that she had been "trying to brush it off," suggesting she sought to minimise the encounter rather than escalate it.

When pressed on what she understood Price to mean by the phrase "I will make you a little star," the woman told the court she could not say. "I don't think I said anything. I think I just ignored it," she said, indicating she did not engage with the offer or remark.

The trial also heard evidence about messages the complainant exchanged with Hayler himself. She told jurors that she deleted "I love you" texts after he allegedly instructed her to remove them, a claim that goes to the heart of the disputed account of their communications.

Prosecutors told the court that after the third alleged rape, Hayler sent the girl a message saying "I love you goodnight," to which she responded, "I love you too." The defence does not accept that any such messages were ever sent by Hayler to the complainant.

Arlette Piercy, defending Hayler, put it to the complainant that the alleged rapes and the sexual assault never took place. The woman rejected that suggestion firmly, telling the jury: "I would never make it up."

Under questioning about the deleted messages, the complainant confirmed she had removed them herself. "Yes, I did," she said. "Kieran Hayler was asking to delete my messages." She added that the messages were "deleted, long gone, years ago," explaining why they could not be produced as evidence.

The court has previously heard that Hayler suggested his ex-wife launched a campaign against him when their marriage ended, and that the allegations formed part of that campaign. Price and Hayler married but their relationship broke down in 2018, with their divorce finalised in 2021.

It has also been established that the alleged victim is not a member of either Hayler's or Price's extended families, distinguishing this case from the domestic context that sometimes characterises such prosecutions.

The trial continues before the jury, with further evidence expected to be heard in the coming days. Hayler, who has been photographed arriving at and leaving Lewes Crown Court, maintains his innocence on all counts.

The case has attracted significant public attention because of the celebrity status of both Price and Hayler, but the court proceedings are focused on the testimony of the complainant and the disputed messages at the centre of the allegations. Additional reporting on the case has been provided by PA Media.