Former glamour model Katie Price has claimed she plans to divorce her conman husband Lee Andrews after discovering he was broke, but evidence suggests their marriage was a sham.
The 48-year-old reality television star announced that she dumped Andrews, 43, via text message and is consulting divorce lawyers to protect her personal finances. The decision marks the latest development in the long-running relationship history of Price, who originally rose to prominence as a glamour model before building a career across British media and reality television.
Price reportedly decided to end the marriage after discovering that Andrews owned only about £2 in his cryptocurrency account, despite his previous boasts of holding a £37million fortune. As one report put it: "She has finally come to her senses."
However, fresh clues have emerged indicating that the couple's whirlwind marriage earlier this year was never legally binding. A source familiar with Price's work said: "Once again, Katie seems to have pulled the wool over her fans' eyes. She's going on and on about 'divorce', but if you look closely, it seems her marriage is a sham. Therefore, neither divorce or losing any money to Lee should be an issue."
Andrews, a self-styled businessman, continues to languish in a Dubai prison over huge debts accumulated through his dodgy financial dealings. An examination of the story highlights five unexplained elements surrounding their union.
Discrepancies over the ceremony location
Price, a mother of five who starred on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, first supposedly tied the knot with Andrews in January. The beachfront ceremony took place at Dubai's five-star One&Only Royal Mirage hotel, just weeks after the couple met online.
A part-time celebrant who oversaw the occasion later claimed that the event was "just for show". The couple then sought to register their marriage in the neighbouring emirate of Abu Dhabi, an almost two-hour journey from Dubai.
Each of the seven states within the United Arab Emirates operates its own distinct judicial and court system. Questions have been raised as to why the couple travelled to another emirate while Andrews was restricted from travelling.
An associate of Price asked: "We all know Lee is on a Dubai travel ban - that's why he never made it back to the UK. Why go all the way to Abu Dhabi for a certificate?"
Questions surrounding civil marriage paperwork
Supposedly official documents were later released to the media by Backgrid, a celebrity paparazzi agency. Backgrid is Price's preferred picture agency, frequently placing photographs in news outlets on her behalf with Price receiving a lucrative slice of each picture sold.
Among the items released was an Abu Dhabi Justice Department Civil Marriage Application form, apparently signed by both Andrews and Price. While the document initially appears legitimate and accurately lists their personal details, an investigation established that such paperwork can easily be produced online.
An identical document was generated within minutes using the official website of the United Arab Emirates government. As a result, the application form does not provide comprehensive proof that the couple were ever married.
Furthermore, Price posted no photographs of a second ceremony in Abu Dhabi, and no images were distributed by Backgrid. A source noted: "Katie will always monetise any event. It would be frankly unbelievable that she wouldn't have posed for the paps."
Invalidity of the official marriage certificate
A marriage certificate was also released by Backgrid, which separately photographed Price enjoying a secret holiday in Marbella this week. The document apparently conforms to Abu Dhabi regulations and appears legitimate on its surface.
However, for a marriage between two non-Emirati nationals to become legal in Britain, the United Arab Emirates marriage certificate must be stamped by the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa). It must also be formally approved by the UAE Embassy in London before British authorities will recognise it.
Neither of these mandatory verification steps appears to have been completed. When uploaded to Mofa's online legal document verification service, which checks the authenticity, integrity, and validity of official paperwork, the certificate returned an "invalid document" result.
The document also lacks both the required Ministry stamp and an official QR code, a standard security feature on modern United Arab Emirates marriage certificates used to confirm authenticity. Formal advice for British nationals wishing to marry in the Middle Eastern country states that UK authorities look for proper attestation and official stamping and use the QR code system to verify documents.
Unmatched signature and artificial intelligence
Questions have also been raised regarding the signature on Price's side of the marriage application. The complex scrawl appears noticeably longer than signatures she has used in the past, and the handwriting bears no resemblance to her ordinary signature widely circulated online.
The possibility that the paperwork or photographs were created using artificial intelligence remains significant, given Andrews's history of using digital forgery tools. Images circulated previously purported to show Andrews meeting tech tycoon Elon Musk and reality television star Kim Kardashian, both of which were later confirmed to have been faked.
Many photographs of Andrews himself have also been edited and enhanced to alter his physical appearance, including adding generous tufts of hair to his rapidly receding hairline.
Doubts over divorce motivations
Although Price maintains she is consulting divorce lawyers to protect her assets, unresolved questions remain over whether she was ever legally married in the first place or whether any union would be recognised in Britain.
Her fresh claims of a legal wrangle to protect her money may represent another attempt to ensure she remains the centre of public attention.
Katie Price has been contacted for comment.
