Katie Price has admitted that she is ‘not emotionally strong enough’ to attend bankruptcy court hearings.
The 45-year-old entered bankruptcy for the second time in March due to an outstanding tax obligation of £761,994.
The former model raised eyebrows when she skipped a bankruptcy court and was photographed with her lover in a £760-per-night hotel.
She has now gone out to defend herself on her podcast, The Katie Price Show, saying that her consultant signed her off from court activities.
Katie said that she went on a ‘budget trip’ for a mental health break with her partner, JJ Slater, who was on Married at First Sight.
‘Everyone is like “Oh she’s missed bankruptcy and she’s gone on holiday!” No, let me address it,’ she began.
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‘The court knew that I wasn’t going to my bankruptcy, because mentally – my consultant at The Priory – I’ve been signed off for any kind of activity for court.
‘I’m mentally not strong enough at the moment to stand in court, be cross examined in front of the media, in front of the public.’
The star, who declared bankruptcy for the first time in 2019, also insisted that she was taking this issue seriously.
‘I am taking my bankruptcy so serious, like I do everything else. It’s a very serious situation I’m in and it does look like, “Oh she’s just gone on holiday”,’ she said.
‘No, my head at the moment needs a break. I had four days in my diary where I was able to go away.
‘You’ve got the words from me here. When I say I’m not mentally able and stable into court at the moment because I have a lot of things going on behind the scenes I’m dealing with.
‘Hence, I haven’t been on TikTok for months, since December, I’m only doing what my body and brain can let me do at the moment.’
Katie reiterated that she was placing importance on the court case, vowing: ‘I am taking the bankruptcy seriously. It’s not like I’ve jetted off on a bloody five-star holiday.’
She also revealed that she had a low hotel rate and did not spend much money on her ‘budget’ four-day vacation.
The mother of five indicated that she will not be attending another next hearing due to her mental health, while she awaits approval from the court.
She added: ‘I’m not in a £760 a night hotel either. It’s not my fault that my friend came to this hotel a week before me and told them I was coming and told them to look after me. So when I came here they upgraded me for nothing!
‘Before I went away on holiday I had [a] conversation with my trustees who handle both of my bankruptcies and explained fully my situation. Since then I’ve had a letter from them and a letter from court.
‘[My consultant] has now given a list of things I need to do to discharge me and suspend me from this which has to be signed off by a lawyer. I’m back today, I have the appointments with my consultant, my therapist and everyone around me who will be signing me off legally.’
Last week, it was reported that if the reality TV actress fails to appear in court again, she might be jailed and her assets taken.
In a written submissions Darragh Connell, representing the trustees, said: ‘The respondent should be in no doubt that any future non-attendance without a reasonable excuse will constitute contempt of court and necessitate an application for a warrant for her arrest.’
‘It is clear that the evidence filed very late is of a variety that is deeply, deeply unsatisfactory and we are in a very serious situation as a consequence.’
