A close up of Katie Price arriving at Lewes Crown Court, she is wearing large dark sunglasses and looking over her shoulder

Kieran Hayler says ‘rape case about Katie Price feud’ as ex claims she made a venomous threat

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Kieran Hayler told Lewes Crown Court that his ongoing rape trial centers on a longstanding feud with his ex-wife Katie Price, while she denied harbouring any venom against him during three days of fiery evidence.

The high-profile legal proceedings at Lewes Crown Court have exposed deep animosities between Kieran Hayler and his ex-wife Katie Price, intersecting with grave criminal allegations. Hayler, 39, is on trial accused of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against a then-13-year-old girl in West Sussex back in 2016.

Katie Price's ex husband Kieran Hayler charged with rape! | Celebrity Gossip

The defendant has maintained his innocence throughout.

He told the jury that the charges form part of a smear campaign orchestrated against him.

Hayler Claims Trial Stems From Bitter Feud With Price

During cross-examination by prosecutor Ryan Richter, Hayler was pressed on the nature of the proceedings Thesun. Hayler answered affirmatively when questioned about his dispute with his ex-wife, stating that the entire situation is rooted in their feud. He was asked if the case was about him having raped a girl.

Hayler told the court he believed he was being set up.

He added that the allegations came completely out of the blue.

He claimed that Katie Price had planted a seed in the mind of the complainant. He described the situation as a deliberate attempt to ruin his reputation.

Kieran Hayler says 'rape case about Katie Price feud' as ex claims she made a venomous threat
Photo: The Independent

The former stripper and actor married Price at a luxury resort in the Bahamas in 2013, following her prior marriages to Peter Andre and Alex Reid. The couple’s relationship broke down in 2018, and they formally divorced in 2021.

Katie Price Denies Venoms and Clashes With Defence Counsel

Before Hayler took the stand, Katie Price spent three days giving evidence, which included heated exchanges in the courtroom Thesun.

Katie Price 'has no words' for ex-husband's rape allegations | Katie Price | Kieran Hayler

Challenged by defence lawyer Arlette Piercy over her feelings toward her ex-husband, Price rejected the characterization that she held a grudge.

I don’t have any venom against Kieran, it was amicable when we split.

Defence Presents Disputed Phone Messages and Coaching Claims

Central to the defence arguments are text messages exchanged between Price and the complainant back in 2017. Hayler told jurors he discovered the messages on Price’s phone while searching for evidence of an alleged affair of her own Theindependent.

In the messages, Price told the teenage girl that she had heard Hayler and the girl kissed and that he had tried it on, adding, I will make you a little star.

Hayler argued that the phrasing was pushy and strange. He told the court he believed Price was coaching the teenager into making false claims.

When questioned about the phrase during her own testimony, Price insisted it was merely a figure of speech BBC.

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The complainant had previously replied to Price’s messages stating that it was just a flirt thing and that nothing happened.

Pentecost Testifies About Alleged Threats and Domestic Carnage

Hayler’s ex-fiancée, Michelle Pentecost, also appeared as a defence witness, testifying that Price frequently threatened to ruin Hayler and brand him a paedophile Thesun.

Pentecost told the court that these threats happened more than 60 times during her seven-year relationship with Hayler. They usually followed disagreements between him and Price on FaceTime calls.

Pentecost also described finding a Christmas card sent to her mother featuring explicit images of Hayler, an incident she reported to police while assuming Price was responsible.

Kieran Hayler says 'rape case about Katie Price feud' as ex claims she made a venomous threat
Photo: Thesun

Hayler additionally described living conditions at the home he shared with Price after their 2018 split. He recounted scenes of carnage involving alcohol and cocaine on the worktops before he finally moved out in May 2018.

Judge Introduces Alternative Charges as Trial Continues

As the legal proceedings advanced, Judge Mark van der Zwart introduced alternative counts of sexual activity with a child following the close of the prosecution case Theindependent.

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The judge explained to the jury that these lesser charges lack the specific reference to an absence of consent found in the primary rape counts.

He left the ultimate decision entirely in the hands of the jurors.

The complainant initially contacted the NSPCC regarding the allegations in 2021, prompting a referral to the police and subsequent interviews in December 2021 and January 2022.

Hayler continues giving evidence at Lewes Crown Court as the trial proceeds.

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