Katie Price’s husband Lee Andrews has reportedly been released from a Dubai prison following weeks of drama surrounding his arrest and the huge sum allegedly required to secure his freedom.
The self-styled billionaire, 43, was jailed at Al Awir Central Prison last month over fraud allegations, sparking a turbulent period for Katie, who travelled to Dubai in an effort to support him.
Reports initially suggested that the former glamour model believed she would need to pay around £6,500 to help free her husband. However, when she arrived at court, she was allegedly informed that the amount had risen dramatically to £140,000 due to a separate property-related case still awaiting a hearing.
Despite the mounting pressure, Katie had already made it clear she would not hand over the money.
Now, according to new reports, Lee has finally been released. A friend told The Sun simply: “Lee is out.”
Representatives for Katie declined to comment on the claims.
During his time behind bars, Lee was reportedly desperate to find a way to raise the £140,000 and even asked Katie if a GoFundMe campaign had been launched on his behalf.
According to reports, Katie dismissed the idea and told him: “No-one will do that for you, Lee, trust me. Everyone hates you.”
Meanwhile, concerns about Katie’s wellbeing have continued to grow among those closest to her.
A source said: “Katie’s family are very close to her. And they are all very concerned for her.”
The insider added: “She is spending too much time away from her kids, as well as being halfway around the world.”
The controversy has also caused friction within Katie’s family. During an episode of her podcast, sister Sophie Price openly criticised Lee after he failed to appear for a scheduled Good Morning Britain interview.
Katie insisted Lee had planned to fly to the UK and claimed visa problems prevented him from travelling. But Sophie wasn’t convinced.
She told her sister: “He is massively mugging you off and he has done it publicly on live TV.”
Katie admitted she confronted her husband over the embarrassment, saying: “You’ve made me look a massive dk, you’ve made yourself look a massive dk.”
Sophie then launched an extraordinary attack on Lee, telling Katie: “I can’t even say his name, because he winds me up. I think he is a fking dkhead on Instagram if I am honest and I think you deserve better Kate.”
Despite standing by her husband throughout the ordeal, Katie has repeatedly insisted she will not financially support him.
She said: “I’ve made it clear to Lee, I will never give him money, I’ll never give a man money. I’ve done it all my life, I’ve always been the breadwinner.”
Addressing criticism over her decision to remain in Dubai to support him, Katie added: “This is real, this is real life; this is my life. It has been a tough few weeks, don’t get me wrong. But I’ve still stayed strong through it all, and I have a smile on my face.”
She continued: “Some people might not like my choices, but I’m not living for everyone else. I know people have been calling me stupid, I see all the trolling, I hear it. I am not stupid.”
The latest developments come after several of Lee’s former partners publicly warned Katie about him.
His ex Crystal Janke claimed she was persuaded to invest £123,000 into one of his businesses after allegedly being promised a £1million return. Former fiancée Alana Percival has also issued warnings online.
During her recent stay in Dubai, Katie even met Lee’s ex Dina Taji, who reportedly warned her in person about her husband’s alleged behaviour.
After their meeting, Katie admitted: “My eyes have been opened. I just need some time to think. I still cannot end things with Lee until I’ve spoken to him, but that was a lot.”
