Tensions erupted at Lewes Crown Court as reality TV star Katie Price took the witness stand for a third and final day of testimony in the trial of her ex-husband, Kieran Hayler, who is accused of serious sexual offences against a 13-year-old girl.
Hayler, 39, who was married to Price from 2013 until their bitter separation in 2018 and subsequent divorce in 2021, denies three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. According to the Metro, the alleged offences took place between June and October 2016 at Hayler's family home in West Sussex. The girl later reported the allegations to the NSPCC in December 2021, at the age of 18. She is now 23. The alleged victim has no connection to either Hayler's or Price's extended family.
The atmosphere inside the courtroom turned explosive on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, when defence barrister Arlette Piercy directly challenged Price's credibility during cross-examination, suggesting she had orchestrated a vengeful smear campaign against her former spouse following their toxic breakup.
A visibly angered Price confronted the barrister head-on: "It was all wrong what he did. He's just a wrong'un, I know he's done stuff with the (complainant), I got the messages. You shouldn't turn this case against me. The real reason why we're here is what he's done to a child, not me."
When Price directly asked the barrister, "Are you calling me a liar?", Piercy unhesitatingly responded: "I am."
Refusing to back down, Price fired back: "I don't need to be here. You can see in black and white something's gone on. I won't have anybody call me a liar." She also accused the lawyer of "discrimination" during the heated exchange.
Price had testified about the allegations before the jury on October 12. She told the court she could not remember the exact messages, but that they indicated Hayler had tried to kiss the girl and "done stuff to her": "Definitely a kiss and that he said he loved her." She said she wanted to get information out of the complainant because "it's serious," explaining: "I could tell that she was, like, afraid. I was shocked... like really shocked. It's a different kettle of fish; it's a child." Price said she confronted Hayler at the time, and that his response was always: "no, I hadn't."
The court has heard that in a recorded police interview in January 2022, Hayler claimed he was being "100%" set up by his high-profile ex-wife following their breakup.
Price, the father of two of whose children is Hayler, has been one of the most recognisable faces in British reality television for two decades. Her appearance as a witness - and the extraordinary courtroom exchanges it produced - has ensured the trial remains one of the most closely watched celebrity court cases of the year. The trial continues.