Katie Price Sent 'I Will Make You a Little Star' Messages to Girl Who Accused Ex-Husband Kieran Hayler of Rape, Court Hears

Messages sent by Katie Price to a teenage girl who alleges she was raped by Price's then-husband, Kieran Hayler, were shown to jurors at Lewes Crown Court this week, with the television personality reportedly telling the girl she would "make you a little star."

Hayler, a former reality television figure who was married to Price at the time of the allegations, is standing trial accused of 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 2016 in West Sussex. He denies every charge against him.

The court heard that the messages between Price and the complainant were exchanged when the girl was 14, roughly a year after the alleged attacks. In the correspondence, Price indicated she had been told that Hayler and the girl had kissed and that he had "tried it on" with her.

Price pressed the teenager for clarity, writing that she was "only asking as this is a serious allegation." According to the messages read aloud in court, Price asked directly: "Did he kiss you? I won't bring up anymore just want truth. I will make you a little star."

The complainant responded at the time by describing the incident as "just a flirt thing," adding that "nothing happened." In a further exchange, Price asked whether Hayler had ever expressed that he liked or fancied the girl. The complainant replied: "Yes, but I took it as a joke."

Cross-examined about why she had told Price that nothing had happened, the complainant, who is now an adult, explained that she had been "trying to brush it off." When asked what she understood Price to mean by the phrase "I will make you a little star," she told the jury she had not engaged with the comment, saying: "I don't think I said anything. I think I just ignored it."

The trial has also heard detailed testimony about text messages exchanged directly between the complainant and Hayler. Jurors were told that following the third alleged rape, Hayler sent the girl a message saying "I love you goodnight," to which she responded: "I love you too."

Under cross-examination, the complainant confirmed that she had deleted those "I love you" messages after Hayler allegedly instructed her to get rid of them. When defence counsel Arlette Piercy put it to her that the messages had never been sent at all, the complainant insisted they had existed but were "deleted, long gone, years ago." Asked directly whether she had been the one to erase them, she replied: "Yes, I did. Kieran Hayler was asking to delete my messages."

Piercy, representing Hayler, suggested to the court that the alleged rapes and sexual assault never took place. The complainant rejected that suggestion firmly, telling the jury: "I would never make it up." That denial forms a central pillar of the prosecution's case, which rests heavily on the credibility of the complainant's account given the absence of the deleted messages as physical evidence.

The court has previously heard that Hayler and Price married while the alleged offences took place, though their relationship deteriorated and ultimately ended in divorce in 2021. The prosecution alleges that Hayler suggested his ex-wife had "launched a campaign" against him as their marriage broke down, and that the allegations formed part of that campaign. The alleged victim is not a member of either Hayler's or Price's extended families, the court was told.

The defence's strategy appears to hinge on undermining the complainant's testimony, particularly the delay in reporting and the apparently affectionate nature of some of the messages she exchanged with the defendant. Legal commentators note that in cases of alleged child sexual abuse, victims frequently delay disclosure and may maintain contact with abusers, behaviours that experts say are common responses to grooming, fear, and confusion rather than indicators that allegations are fabricated.

The involvement of a high-profile figure such as Price adds a further layer of complexity to proceedings. Jurors have been presented with messages suggesting Price sought information from the complainant while simultaneously appearing to offer the promise of publicity or advancement. The meaning and intent behind the "little star" remark is likely to be contested as the trial progresses, with the defence potentially arguing it demonstrates the complainant had motives to engage with the allegations.

The case is being heard at Lewes Crown Court, with the trial expected to continue in the coming days as further evidence is presented and witnesses are called. Hayler, who has consistently denied all charges, continues to be represented by his legal team. The judge has yet to give final directions to the jury, and proceedings remain ongoing. Additional reporting on the case has been provided by PA Media.