Katie Price, the former model and reality TV star, was arrested at Heathrow Airport on Thursday evening for failing to attend a court hearing related to her ongoing bankruptcies. The arrest took place at 19:45 BST, following the issuance of an arrest warrant on July 30 by the Metropolitan Police.
Price, 46, was detained upon her return to the UK and will appear before a judge at the Royal Courts of Justice later today. Photographs from the scene show her with bandages around her face, near police vans at the airport.
The arrest stems from Price’s ongoing financial troubles. She was first declared bankrupt in November 2019 and faced a second bankruptcy in March 2024 due to an unpaid tax bill exceeding £750,000.
The court had previously ordered her to allocate 40% of her monthly income from her OnlyFans account towards repaying debts incurred from her first bankruptcy.
In February, Price was instructed to provide comprehensive financial details and attend a court hearing in relation to her bankruptcies. Judge Catherine Burton of the Insolvency and Companies Court warned that Price risked arrest if she failed to attend further court dates. Price was also required to provide evidence if she could not attend.
Despite these warnings, Price did not attend the scheduled court hearing on July 30, leading to the issuance of an arrest warrant. Reports indicated that Price had traveled to Turkey, adding to concerns about her lack of cooperation.
Judge Burton criticized Price for her “piecemeal cooperation” and failure to provide essential information regarding her bankruptcies. The judge emphasized that an arrest warrant was issued only after repeated failures to comply with court requirements.
The court had expected Price to answer questions about her financial status from barristers representing the trustee of her bankruptcies. Price’s continued non-compliance with court orders has exacerbated her legal troubles and drawn significant media attention.
As the case proceeds, the public will be closely watching how Price addresses her financial obligations and court directives. Her appearance before the Royal Courts of Justice will likely offer more insight into her attempts to resolve the ongoing bankruptcy issues and whether she can meet the court’s demands for transparency and accountability.