After being arrested at Heathrow Airport following her ongoing bankruptcy battle, Katie Price has become a national talking point in all the wrong ways.
She is said to owe more than £750,000 in unpaid tax and was arrested after failing to attend a court hearing. In March, the former glamour model was declared bankrupt, and in May she was removed from her home by bailiffs after failing to repay mortgage payments. Her home, dubbed 'Mucky Mansion' by the tabloids, has since sold for £1.5m, despite being left with 'piles of rubbish' and 'abandoned cars', according to LBC.
Following her arrest last week, Katie attended a court hearing in London on 9 August with bandages around her face after supposedly undergoing a sixth face lift in Turkey. Appearing before a judge at the Royal Court of Justice, she agreed to attend a public examination into her finances and hand over all documents concerning her earnings.
It's a concerning situation and one that involves a vulnerable woman in the public eye who has five children – three of whom are under the age of 18. However, for many, it's yet another opportunity to dehumanise and ridicule her online.
Instead of recognising that Katie is clearly in a state of crisis – her finances are in total disorder, she has been warned not to leave the country and told that she will face arrest again if she doesn't attend the next court hearing – it's astounding to see how many people instead choose to treat her with contempt. Endless tabloid articles about the TV personality are circulating online, which have prompted comments calling her 'a literal toilet', 'a f*cking munter' and 'a woman with the morals of an alley cat'.
Regardless of how or why she got herself into this legal situation, she, like any human, deserves to be treated with common decency. The level of vitriol and repulsion reserved for Katie specifically over the years is simply a reflection of the way society treats women who have found themselves in the public eye – particularly those from working class backgrounds, and those who have children.
With every taunting headline, or joke made on late night television, we seem to stray further from the fact that Katie could be dealing with complex mental health problems, not to mention under an extreme amount of stress.
Over the years we have seen Katie struggle with three high profile divorces, countless legal cases, including a custody battle with her third husband Kieran Hayler, and a two-year driving ban and 16-week jail sentence for drink driving. Things have certainly deteriorated in recent years. She has been declared bankrupt twice, first in 2019 and again in March this year, has repeatedly dodged court hearings, and throughout these worrying legal and financial issues has undergone several cosmetic procedures.
Katie's plea for compassion on Instagram, which she posted before Friday's hearing, has since been deleted. She wrote, 'I am aware that I am about to be detained at the airport which is obviously what the courts feel is necessary.
'I do hope of course for my sons sake [Harvey Price, who has Prader-Willi syndrome, septo-optic dysplasia and learning difficulties] who is with me that they will allow some dignity and protection for at least his sake as this will be extremely disturbing for him to see [sic]. Whilst I understand the importance and severity of the matter I do feel like I am being treated like a criminal.'
The former The X Factor duo Jedward, whose real names are John and Edward Grimes, even posted a photo of themselves with Katie on social media and wrote: 'Everyone please be kind to Katie Price. It's a delicate situation and she deserves support and love. Please be sensitive, she's a human and mum with a massive heart and deserves respect. Sending strength to her kids and family.'
Katie Price, or Jordan as she was once known, has lived through decades of being the nation's punching bag, and has mostly taken it in good faith -she can laugh at herself when necessary. But she is clearly in need of compassion right now. It's a story we know can end badly for, particularly, women in the public eye, and yet here we are reading it again and again.
Regardless of what people think of Katie Price, she does not deserve this. Online trolling does not solve anything, justify anything or improve anyone's lives, it only puts her safety and recovery at risk. She's not a punchline, she's a women, a mum and a friend to many - she deserves more respect.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, covering TV, celebrity interviews, news and features.