A coroner says the suicide of Love Island UK host, Caroline Flack, was to avoid public trial for assaulting boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
Caroline was arrested in December 2019 for assaulting Lewis. Two weeks later, she resigned as host of Love Island.
The reality TV star was slated to stand trial for charges involving the incident with Lewis on March 4. Sadly, Caroline took her own life on February 15, three weeks before the trial began.
Fear of a public trial and scrutiny
London coroner, Mary Hassell, shared her findings today. Sky News was first to release the information, revealing a direct correlation between the assault playing out in the public eye and Caroline’s suicide.
“I find the reason for her taking her life was she now knew she was being prosecuted for certainty, and she knew she would face the media, press, publicity, it would all come down upon her,” Mary shared after a two-day inquest at Poplar Coroner’s Court.
The coroner further stated a direct line could be drawn between the assault case’s press coverage and Caroline’s declining mental health. Watching her private life play out so publicly was “incredibility difficult” for the Love Island host.
Plus, the added fear of not working as a TV presenter, a job she loved, was unbearable for Caroline.
“In spite of the fact she may have led, to some, a charmed life, actually the more famous she got, the more some of these difficulties increased. She had to deal with the media in a way most of us don’t,” Mary stated in findings.
Caroline’s family responds to coroners’ findings
Caroline’s mother, Chris Flack, watched the inquest from her home in Norfolk, England. The family stands by the coroner’s decision, according to The Independent.
“I think you got it spot on. We know you are not allowed to say certain things, and it’s up to us if we want to take it any further, and we don’t,” Chris said.
Jodie Flack, Caroline’s twin sister, and Chris have repeatedly shared they believe the Love Island host was treated unfairly by the Crown Prosecution Service. The latter handles all criminal trials in England. Chris and Jodie think Caroline was treated differently because of her high-profile job and celebrity status.
Nearly six months after Caroline Flack’s suicide, it has been revealed her fame and career greatly impacted the Love Island host’s mental health. The fallout of an assault incident with her boyfriend and public trial led to her taking her own life.