Audun Carlsen: Model chained to wall by ‘monster’ Boy George slams singer over ‘I am A Celebrity’ debut
HAMSTEAD, ENGLAND: Boy George's 'I'm A Celebrity...Take Me Away From Here!' casting was criticized by a male escort who was locked in the singer's London apartment and chained to the wall. Boy George, 61, and Audun Carlsen, 43, first spoke in 2007 when George invited Audun to pose for his clothing line after contacting Audun through a dating website. They first met at George's apartment in Shoreditch, East London, where they drank wine and used cocaine. However, things quickly took an undesirable turn.
When he returned from the store, George and another man attacked Audun, claiming that the escort had tried to get to his computer. They beat him and chained him to a wall fixture, from which he managed to free himself. The former escort, Audun, who is still traumatized, criticized George for his participation in the program I am A Celebrity, which will be broadcast on ITV1 on November 6.
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In an exclusive interview with the Mirror, he said, "Had I been a woman and he did what he did, he would never have been given the platform. It’s hurtful that big organizations like ITV give him that platform. I think giving him this sort of platform and a record fee sends the wrong message to survivors of violence and abuse and is plain wrong.'
A representative for George told MailOnline, "George went to jail for four months willingly after openly confessing to false imprisonment during a psychotic break 15 years ago whilst in the midst of a well-documented drug problem. Not only has he been a pillar of society ever since, but he also remains sober to this day. He apologized publicly on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories four years ago and we are very proud of him for his rehabilitation. Everyone is entitled to a second chance and George has certainly earned it."
The Culture Club singer will allegedly receive the biggest payment among the 12 performers featured on the series this year—£500,000—for his appearance on the program.
After being beaten and threatened with a sex toy, Audun, who was 28 at the time, escaped the house in his underwear and dialed 911 at 6.30 am from a nearby newsstand. After being found guilty of assault and false detention in 2009, George was sentenced to 15 months in prison; however, he was released early after four months due to good behavior. Since then, the former heroin addict has changed for the better, and April 2018 marked ten years of recovery.
When he appeared on Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Boy George cried when talking about a "psychotic episode" in which he imprisoned Audun in his apartment, and whipped him with a chain. "I sent myself to prison. I told the police why I did what I did. In hindsight, I was having a psychotic episode. I was a drug addict so I can't sit here and say my reasons for doing it were found in any way."
He also said that he didn't apologize to his victim because he felt that not talking about it "was dignified and that it "wouldn't make any difference." "But I told the truth. I said this is why I did it. I was having a paranoid episode. I have always denied beating the guy. All of it was the drugs. There is no way on God's earth this would happen if I had not been on drugs. I kind of took responsibility but in my way. It is in my nature to spill my guts. I never really tell lies and sometimes it has worked against me."