Sugababes' Keisha Buchanan ‘beaten' by footballer ex who controlled what she ate
A court heard about the allegations against Taiwo Leo Atieno, 39, which include beating her and banning her from wearing red lipstick, among other instances of coercion.
Taiwo, who played football for Kenya and Luton Town, is alleged to have grabbed the 40-year-old around the neck, punched her on the arm and struck her on the back during three assaults.
Keisha has also alleged financial abuse, with Taiwo supposedly controlling her money, her daily life – including when she could shower or go to the gym – her eating habits and what she could watch on TV and when.
The pair first got together in 2011 and the alleged abuse took place between 2015 and 2018.
The charges also claim he 'did not allow her to wear red lipstick' andallegedly also contacted the singer demanding £25,000, the court heard.
He has also been accused of harassing the star after their relationship and alleged breaches of a court order banning him from contacting her.
Prosecutor Edward Kalber told Willesden Magistrates' Court today: 'The offending is severe in its nature and has caused […] problems for the defendant, both psychological and physical.
'The complainant states that while she lived with the defendant she wasn't allowed to open her own letters or sort out her finances.
'The complainant would have to ask for money whenever she wanted it.
'The defendant would get annoyed if the complainant wore red lipstick. He berated her and called her trashy, and told her she looked like a prostitute whenever she wore this.'
Mr Kalber added: 'This then fed into her dietary issues, due to the defendant controlling what she was allowed to eat.'
Taiwo allegedly carried out three assaults on Keisha, two in the defendant's bedroom and one in the front room.
The singer had to undergo physiotherapy as a result of the physical abuse, it is alleged.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
After being blocked from contacting her in any way by court order, the footballer allegedly continued to contact his ex and is accused of harassment over the course of three years. More Trending
The news of the court case comes as SugaBabes goes back on tour.
The superstar trio, comprised of Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena, and Siobhan Donaghy, have had a run of acclaimed festival slots – including a widely celebrated set at Glastonbury 2024.
After years of line-up changes – and a protracted legal battle over the Sugababes name – the original girls are finally back together on their first proper UK arena tour.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Keisha Buchanan says Sugababes saved her from pressure to be 'stick thin'
MORE: Sugababes deserve title of UK's greatest girl band after stellar comeback show
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Apprentice star tackles attacker after 'three people slashed in Aldi car park'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A man has been charged with attempted murder after a knife attack outside a supermarket which saw a television star come to the rescue. Passersby and shoppers at Aldi in the Bevois area of Southampton saw a man brandishing a knife outside the shop on Sunday afternoon. Large swathes of the supermarket car park were cordoned off by police after the incident, during which video captured the moment two police officers handcuffed a man on the pavement nearby. What appears to be a knife can be seen on the road nearby. Sohail Chowdhary, who appeared on The Apprentice in 2022, was one of the first people on the scene after three people were injured or threatened with the blade. He told the Daily Echo he and three others tried to distract the suspect while others ran to safety. Sohail also pulled the suspect off a father-to-be who had fallen over while trying to get away. He said: 'We went to go have a look. We saw a guy with a helmet, then we saw the other guy had a knife. 'We were a bit like what the heck. The amount of blood he had on his knife we weren't going to risk that. '[The man on the floor] told me afterwards that he has a kid on the way so thank god he didn't get stabbed.' Sohail along with one of his colleagues at Limitless Martial Arts, the gym he owns, and two of his students, got involved to try and distract the suspect while waiting for the police to arrive. Describing how his staff and students reacted to the incident, he said: 'I am just proud of these guys. 'I wasn't expecting that on a Sunday morning. It could have been a lot worse. More Trending 'This incident has made many of us more alert. We will now be actively ensuring that all our students, adults and children alike, are aware of what to do in emergency situations, both inside and outside of class. 'It makes me more and more grateful to not only change lives, but to now officially save lives.' Azzedvie Mahmoudi, 46, of Cobbett Road, Southampton, has been charged with three counts of attempted murder, one of attempted GBH, three of threatening a person with a blade or sharply pointed article in a public place, and one of possessing a blade or sharp pointed article in a public place. He is in custody and is set to appear at Southampton magistrates court this morning. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey in court over rape charges MORE: Hunt for attacker after man slashed in the arm with samurai sword in Canary Wharf MORE: Burglar caught hours after staring into Ring doorbell of home he tried to break into
Metro
2 hours ago
- Metro
Former Arsenal footballer Thomas Partey in court over rape charges
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has appeared in court charged with raping two women. The 32-year-old was granted conditional bail following a short hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court this morning. He faces five counts of rape and one of sexual assault. He is accused of two counts of rape against one woman and three counts of rape against another, with the sexual assault allegation relating to a third. Partey was charged four days after leaving the North London side when his contract expired at the end of June. Campaigners have criticised Arsenal for continuing to play the Ghanaian international in two Premier League title challenges while on bail over the accusations following his initial arrest in 2022. He played 35 games for Arsenal in the Premier League last season, scoring four goals. Members of the group Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence held up a banner outside court reading 'Arsenal said: 'We do the right thing' – Then did nothing'. Manager Mikel Arteta defended the club's handling of the midfielder when quizzed about it during last month's pre-season tour of Asia, telling reporters he was '100%' confident they had followed the proper processes. Arsenal released a statement on July 4, the day of Partey's arrest, saying: 'The player's contract ended on June 30. More Trending 'Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club is unable to comment on the case.' Partey, whose lawyer previously said he 'denies all the charges against him', is close to joining Villarreal on a free transfer. He is understood to have completed his medical having agreed personal terms for a return to Spain, where he has previously played for Atlético Madrid, Mallorca and Almería. Partey's court appearance comes a day before Arsenal host Villarreal in a friendly at the Emirates. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Arsenal scare off Porto with Jakub Kiwior transfer fee demand MORE: Arsenal's Max Dowman sends two-word message to Liverpool wonderkid Rio Ngumoha MORE: Hunt for attacker after man slashed in the arm with samurai sword in Canary Wharf
Metro
3 hours ago
- Metro
Chloe Ayling: ‘The email that made me realise why people doubted my kidnapping'
Standing outside the front door of her family home in Croydon, Chloe Ayling got ready to read a statement. The then-20-year-old had managed to survive being held hostage for six days in Italy, terrified she might never see her family again: 'I feared for my life, second by second, minute by minute, hour by hour,' she told the press pack camped outside her doorstep. It didn't occur to Choe that what she wore – a white vest and blue shorts – or how she spoke might be forensically dissected by the public. She was just glad to be alive and home. However it turned out that because the young woman had kept her emotions in check – and even dared to smile, not to mention while wearing blue shorts, god forbid – it was enough for people to decide her whole ordeal must have been a made up hoax. It also meant that instead of attempting to move on from the most traumatic time of her life, Chloe faced a new battle — convincing people she wasn't a liar. 'I can't believe I'm still talking about this eight years later,' she tells Metro candidly. In the summer of 2017, the young glamour model thought she'd been hired for a photo shoot in Milan. However, upon arriving, Chloe was injected with the tranquilliser ketamine by two men in balaclavas, before being driven 120 miles in a car boot to a remote farmhouse. Although Chloe is mostly able to speak about what happened in a detached manner, she admits it's difficult for her to talk about when the kidnappers grabbed her from behind as she arrived at the faux shoot. 'It takes me back to the feeling of not being able to breathe and that panic about suffocating,' she explains. Her captor, Lukasz Herba, whom she knew as MD, had been 'hired by an international crime gang, Black Death',they told her. The plan was to sell her at a sex slave auction unless a € 300,000 ransom was paid by her manager Phil Green, who had set up the shoot. It was money that he didn't have. Chloe was kept handcuffed to a set of drawers and slept on the floor for much of her six days in captivity. 'I accepted that I was going to die, because there was nothing I could do,' she remembers. She didn't cry or scream and the 'days dragged,' she adds. 'I felt like I was constantly walking on eggshells, not wanting to say the wrong thing.' To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A glimmer of hope came when she noticed how Lukasz looked at her. Thinking quickly, Chloe told him that if she were freed, they could be together. He started treating her differently and invited her to sleep in his bed, but they did not have a sexual relationship. On what would become Chloe's last day, Lukasz gave her pizza and fruit, and she ate for the first time after previously fearing he was going to poison her. She was then taken shopping for shoes as hers had been taken away. Her captor then drove Chloe to the UK consulate in Milan and gave her a list of conditions for her release — she must end any investigation and pay the ransom herself. 'Even though I was out, I didn't feel safe,' she remembers, especially as Lukasz had convinced Chloe Black Death could still be after her. After speaking to police, and it soon transpired that Lukasz, alongside his brother Michał Herba, who worked in computer programming and transport logistics in the UK, were the only people involved. There had been no international crime gang. Chloe's account of what happened was in no doubt by the Italian authorities and after a month of investigations, she was allowed to fly home. Her plan was to keep quiet and get on with her life 'I was embarrassed by it,' explains Chloe. I didn't want anyone to ever know -but that choice was taken away from me.' What she hadn't counted on was the reaction to a press conference the Italian authorities held the day before she landed back in the UK. Some struggled to accept aspects of Chloe's story, such as why she was holding hands with Lukasz while shopping, and how he freed her without police intervention. Quick to spot an opportunity, his lawyer declared the kidnapping was a publicity stunt to benefit Chloe's career. 'It was a perfect combination of all the things that made it unbelievable,' she admits. 'My job as a glamour model is associated with publicity. How I look and dress, which was normal to me, didn't go down well. Neither did my calm reactions. 'It's expected that when something bad happens, a person must be sad and crying. Cases are more complex than that. Mine certainly was,' she adds. 'When I spoke to the press outside my home, I had already been free for a month. I'd just been reunited with family, and I no longer had fear as I knew the Black Death wasn't after me. It was a happy moment for me.' Having to justify herself, surely that must have felt lonely and exhausting? 'It was what it was. I just had to throw myself into it. I didn't have a choice. I became numb to it,' she replies matter-of-factly. In 2020, Lukasz was convicted of kidnapping and sentenced to 16 years and nine months in prison, and in 2021, Michał was given 16 years and eight months. The pair's sentences have since been reduced to 12 years and 1 month, and 5 years and 8 months, respectively. Despite the convictions, Chloe still feels the hangover of not being believed. Now 28, she is honest about making money out of her story, appearing on Celebrity Big Brother and releasing an autobiography. She also visited the TV studios of This Morning, Good Morning Britain, and Lorraine, where Chloe calmly talked about what she'd been through. However, she insists, her main goal was to present the facts to debunk theories. 'That's what I cared about from day one,' she explains. The 2024 six-part drama, Kidnapped: The Chloe Ayling Story, has helped rectify some misconceptions, and soon, BBC will release a documentary, Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping, in which she will recount the complex horror in her own words. The three-parter also features interviews with friends, UK and Italian investigators, and Phil. 'After the conviction, I didn't get closure as the lies overpowered the truth. The documentary is hopefully going to change public perception,' she says. The backlash also led Chloe to analyse her own personality. She thought back to childhood when she would be told off for smiling while being disciplined. As she reached early adulthood, people would comment on her 'monotone voice' and ask if Chloe had got Botox, as 'there were no facial expressions'. She had always wondered if there was something 'different' about her, and then a kind email from a teacher landed in her inbox last autumn. The subject: 'Possible undiagnosed autism'. 'It was nice, not the typical criticism and negativity that I was used to. It said, 'I think this is why people can't relate to you, and you should seek a diagnosis',' recalls Chloe. So, earlier this year, she followed the advice and received a diagnosis in March. It has helped her gain a greater understanding of her reaction, which, at times, has also confused Chloe herself. 'I would get frustrated as I didn't know why everyone expected me to be acting differently,' she explains. 'It was a relief to get the diagnosis. I'm able to give myself more grace and patience. All these things that I was trying to change, I don't worry about anymore.' Although she is keen to stress: 'It's not only someone with autism who can react as I did. There are so many reasons, such as delayed reactions or dissociating.' She also learnt to appreciate parts of herself that she'd never been given the chance to before. 'My calmness helped me so much in the kidnapping, but in the media, it backfired. I never got recognition for getting myself out. Experienced detectives couldn't save me; I had to rely on myself. I was only 20 years old, but I outsmarted the kidnapper,' she says. Chloe, who still works as a model but likes to share her content on Instagram and OnlyFans for more control, hopes the documentary can change the narrative on how a victim of trauma should act or behave. More Trending 'I want people not to judge what they don't understand. A victim shouldn't have to fit in your ideal box,' she passionately states. Chloe adds with a smile: 'And I like proving people wrong.' Despite what she went through, Chloe never sought therapy as she didn't see how 'talking to a random person' would help. But after spending hours being interviewed for the documentary, Chloe feels she's had the closure needed. 'I'm definitely the happiest I've ever been now,' Chloe shares. 'I could never have had a still, one-dimensional life. I need to take the ups and downs as it's interesting.' View More » Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer on August 4 and live on BBC Three at 9pm. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: Buried alive: How 33 men survived being trapped underground for 69 days MORE: The Repair Shop's Jay Blades charged with two counts of rape MORE: MasterChef star edited out of BBC series stresses she knows how to 'spot a creep'
