Kelly Brook admits domestic violence against ex-partners

The model Kelly Brook has admitted on television to acts of domestic violence against her ex-partners.

Kelly felt the wrath of the Twittersphere yesterday after her appearance on ITV’s daytime magazine show This Morning.

The glamourous model-cum-actress gave a light-hearted interview in which she confessed to having hit two previous partners, actor Jason Statham and rugby player Danny Cipriani, in the face.  Brook, who was promoting her autobiography, told her interviewers “These are big men I’m going out with – I mean look at me – I’m not going to do them any damage!”

Although numerous Twitter users spoke out to criticise Ms Brook, the reaction was not as widespread as recent instances where high-profile couples have been in the news for male on female domestic violence.  Some months ago the media was overwhelmed by stories in support of Nigella Lawson who was photographed seeming to suffer violence at the hands of her then-partner Charles Saatchi.  Mark Brooks of ManKind, the charity for male victims of domestic violence, told the Independent newspaper that he believed the public would have reacted differently had violent acts Ms Brook described been perpetrated by a man and not a woman: “I am extremely disappointed that there has been no public backlash against the actions of Ms Brook, as if the genders were reversed then there would rightly be.

The Chief Executive of Refuge, a national domestic violence charity, Sandra Horley said “Domestic violence is always unacceptable.  Regardless of age, background, gender or sexuality, there is no excuse for using violence against a partner.”

While the majority of victims of domestic abuse are women (one in four will experience it in their lifetime), one in six men will also experience violence at the hands of a partner.  Currently every third victim of domestic violence will be male.

Today Brook shifted the blame onto the producers of the ITV show claiming “If [host Phillip Schofield] really wanted to have a conversation with me about domestic violence then maybe we should have got someone else on the show as well and we could have all had a proper debate about it.  I think it was poor management on the producer’s part. We should have all been properly briefed on something that was so serious.”  Brook went on to say “I never said it was right to [hit a boyfriend, I never once said that.”

Domestic Violence is a very serious issue but if you are suffering at the hands of a partner whether they are male or female or the abuse is emotional or physical, the law may be able to protect you.

Our solicitors can advise you what options you have in terms of keeping a partner away from you or protecting your right to live safely in your home, even if you are not the legal owner.  Call or email us today in complete confidence to find out what we can do to help you.