Katie Price's ex says sex addiction was made up

Katie Price's ex Kieran Hayler has told a jury he falsely described himself as a sex addict as part of a publicity strategy after an affair while married to the media personality became public.

The 39-year-old is on trial at Lewes Crown Court accused of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl in West Sussex in 2016.

During cross-examination on Friday, prosecutor Ryan Richter suggested Hayler was "practised at having affairs" and referred to previous interviews in which he described himself as having a sex addiction.

Hayler replied: "I have used that description, yes, but it's not correct."

Hayler told jurors that he, Price and her management team had "created a narrative" following his affair to generate headlines and get income from the publicity.

He said it was also to save Price the "embarrassment" that he had cheated on her with their nanny.

The prosecutor referred him to a newspaper interview in which he said he had been unable to help cheating because of his sex addiction.

Asked why he had made those comments, Hayler replied: "Kate decided that's what we're going to run with."

He told Lewes Crown Court: "It was just made-up publicity."

Elsewhere in his evidence, Hayler described the final months of his relationship with Price before moving out of their home.

He told jurors he came downstairs one morning to find what he described as an "actual state".

Hayler said there were "drugs on the side, cocaine on the worktops, alcohol everywhere".

The court previously heard Hayler had claimed the allegations against him were fabricated by Price as part of what he described as a "smear campaign".

The prosecutor suggested Hayler's "feud" with Price was not what the trial was about.

Hayler replied: "It is."

The jury also heard evidence about messages exchanged between Price and the complainant before the allegations were reported.

Hayler said he photographed the messages after accessing Price's phone while they were together.

In one exchange shown to the jury, Price asked the teenager whether Hayler had ever said he liked or fancied her.

The girl replied: "Yes but I took it as a joke."

The prosecutor suggested Hayler only produced the messages now because they did not assist his case.

Hayler disagreed and said the messages did help him, and that he never flirted with the girl.

On Friday, he also told jurors he believed the complainant was "acting" during her police interview and had discussed the allegations with Price beforehand.

Hayler denies all charges.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by the Press Association.