The singer Boy George was jailed in 2009 for falsely imprisoning a male escort. (Getty Pictures For Jean Paul Gaultier/Francois Durand)
Boy George went to jail in 2009 – one thing many assume ought to have dominated him out of I’m A Movie star… Get Me Out Of Right here.
Boy George, actual identify George Alan O’Dowd, is considered one of two controversial contestants on this yr’s I‘m A Celeb, together with former well being secretary Matt Hancock.
ITV has been compelled to defend its casting of the Tradition Membership singer, who has a spent conviction for assault and false imprisonment.
After receiving a frosty reception following being introduced within the ITV present’s lineup, Boy George blamed homophobia for the very fact he was being “trolled” online.
However a lot of the criticism revolves round his previous actions.
Why did Boy George go to jail?
In 2009, Boy George was sentenced to fifteen months in jail for attacking Norwegian mannequin Audun Carlsen.
He was convicted of assault and false imprisonment after being discovered responsible of handcuffing Carlsen to a radiator and beating him with a metallic chain.
On the time of the conviction, Carlsen informed the jury he was solely in a position to get free after breaking the fixture, whereas Boy George tried to defend his actions by citing that he was high on cocaine and having a psychotic episode.
The singer pleaded not responsible, however was convicted.
Boy George was sentenced to fifteen months in jail, however he was launched with an ankle monitor after 4 months for good behaviour.
I all the time maintained that jail would end me off.
In an interview with Reader’s Digest, Boy George mirrored on his time in jail and described it as “life-changing”.
He mentioned: “I all the time maintained that jail would end me off, however it didn’t. You by some means discover the energy.
“I really feel I got here out of that scenario with some knowledge and data. I actually don’t view that interval in my life as damaging… however I wouldn’t need to return.”
In a 2017 interview with Piers Morgan on Life Stories, Boy George mentioned he regretted the incident and blamed it on his drug dependancy.
“I despatched myself to jail. I informed police why I did what I did. I used to be having a psychotic episode.
“I used to be a drug addict so I can’t say my causes for doing it have been based in any method. However I informed the reality. I’ve all the time denied beating the man.”
Boy George has since remained sober.
Boy George’s sufferer speaks out
Not too long ago his sufferer, Carlsen, spoke in regards to the “hurtful” resolution made by ITV to platform Boy George, who he refers to as a “monster”.
Carlsen described how, in 2007, he had been handcuffed to a radiator, overwhelmed with a metallic chain and threatened with a intercourse toy by the singer.
Audun informed the Mirror: “Had I been a girl and he did what he did, he would by no means have been given the platform. It’s hurtful that massive organisations like ITV give him that platform.
“I feel giving him this type of platform and a file price sends the flawed message to survivors of violence and abuse and is apparent flawed.”
Because of the abuse Audun, now 43, has been identified with PTSD, left with a “everlasting again damage”, and has spent a decade in remedy.
ITV has defended casting Boy George regardless of his conviction and jail sentence.
“This can be a historic, spent conviction relationship again 12 years and Boy George has appeared on main TV networks globally on quite a few events during the last decade, together with as a coach for The Voice UK on the BBC and The Voice Australia,” the broadcaster mentioned.
Boy George’s representatives have mentioned: “George went to jail for 4 months willingly after brazenly confessing to false imprisonment throughout a psychotic break 15 years in the past while within the midst of a properly documented drug drawback.”