Kieran Hayler has told jurors he thought his ex-wife Katie Price was "coaching" a 13-year-old girl he is accused of raping after discovering messages she sent to the alleged victim.

Hayler, 39, said he took photographs of messages on Price's phone in which she discussed claims that he fancied the girl and wrote: "I will make you a little star."

Hayler is on trial at Lewes Crown Court accused of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving the teenager in West Sussex in 2016.

Giving evidence on Thursday, the former stripper denied the allegations and said: "I believe they've been fabricated."

He told the trial that "trust had gone on both sides" of his marriage to Price by mid-2013, and he admitted affairs with three other women during their relationship.

He told jurors "I am attracted to older women" and that all his significant relationships had been with older women.

Kieran Hayler told the court Katie Price was also unfaithful during their relationship

Hayler said Price was also unfaithful during their relationship.

Asked by his defence barrister Arlette Piercy why he took pictures of the messages between Price and the complainant, he replied: "Because she made out that I fancied [the complainant].

He said he accessed her phone the same way she had accessed his, by using his fingerprint.

Asked about what this showed, he said: "The relationship is breaking down."

The court previously heard that Price messaged the teenager saying she had heard that Hayler and the girl had kissed and he had "tried it on" with her, adding later: "I will make you a little star."

Asked during her evidence about the phrase, Price said it was "a figure of speech".

On Thursday, Hayler said: "Everyone can interpret it how they want, it's very pushy. It's a very strange comment to make.

"I thought she was coaching her into [saying] something she shouldn't.

"I didn't send them anywhere, I took a picture on my phone."

He told the court he found the picture of the messages "recently" after taking his phones out of storage when moving home.

On Thursday, he also pleaded not guilty to four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child following the close of the prosecution case.

The charges were added to the indictment for the jury to consider as alternatives to the three rape counts and one count of sexual assault.

Judge Mark van der Zwart told jurors the prosecution alleged the complainant was raped, while Hayler's case was that nothing sexual had happened between them.

The court previously heard Hayler had claimed Price had "launched a campaign" against him after their marriage broke down and that the allegations formed part of it.

The couple were married at the time of the alleged offences before separating in 2018 and divorcing in 2021.

The complainant first contacted the NSPCC in 2021 and the charity referred her to police.

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