Katie Price is searching for answers over her missing husband Lee Andrews, but his family have slammed the former model over 'unnecessary' posts about his disappearance. The couple have been married for just 115 days, and now Price has no idea where her husband is.
Allegations of Kidnapping Spark Family Tensions
The former glamour model has sparked a fierce family feud after openly airing her terrifying claims that her new husband, Lee Andrews, has been 'kidnapped.' Price claimed her entrepreneur husband, 43, told her he was being 'captured or arrested' with a hood over his face and his hands tied. However, the shocking claims have provoked fury from Lee's close-knit family, who have accused the reality star of 'exploiting' his disappearance for drama.
Family friend Rebecca Smith said his relatives are 'sick with worry' and slammed Price for her claims he has been kidnapped. Lee's mother, Trisha, 61, a spiritual medium, has reportedly been forced to make her personal and business social media accounts private due to the intense online fallout.
Family's Response to Katie's Posts
After a fan defended Trisha on Facebook, telling people to leave her alone because she isn't responsible for 'Price's drama-queen antics,' Trisha hit back, replying: 'Thank you. It's Katie exploiting and I get all the backlash.' Organisers at a hotel in Mansfield, where Trisha is scheduled to host an upcoming live show, admitted they have been hit by a non-stop barrage of 'prank calls' targeting the family.
Family friend Rebecca, 45, told the Daily Mail that the family are 'sick with worry,' slamming Katie's decision to post public videos about the alleged kidnapping. She said: 'They are a very close family. Kelly (Lee's sister) has taken the lead and is the one communicating with Katie and the Dubai police. She is trying to take the strain off her mother, Trisha, and I'm trying to support both of them through this worrying time.' Rebecca further noted how Lee's sister wasn't happy with Katie posting videos, calling it 'unnecessary.'
Adding that she 'feels bad' for Katie, she said Lee's family have been subject to 'horrific' trolling with many questioning why the family haven't gone to Dubai to look for him, despite the huge expense for the 'normal' family. 'The whole situation is so upsetting for them,' Rebecca added. 'They are trying to stay off social media now. The lack of empathy and compassion in some of the online comments is honestly heartbreaking. Behind every post is a family hoping for answers. Seeing cruel jokes online only adds to their pain.'
Bizarre Details Emerge in the Investigation
As the hunt for the Dubai-based businessman hits its sixth day, several bizarre details have emerged that have left investigators and fans scratching their heads. Reports claim that Lee's WhatsApp status revealed that he was last online on Saturday, May 16, at 17:56 - three days after being 'kidnapped.' An insider said: 'Three days after he was taken he was using his phone. It doesn't add up.'
Sources claim that in the weeks leading up to his disappearance, Lee had been bragging that he was an international arms dealer. An insider told The Sun: 'Lee said he had many jobs, one being an international arms dealer. He seemed really proud of it. He boasted repeatedly to anyone who cared to listen that he worked with dangerous people. He bragged about it, and then he gets kidnapped.'
Online Sleuths and Social Media Reaction
With Lee still missing, internet sleuths have taken matters into their own hands. TikTok has been flooded with videos of creators claiming they are flying to Dubai to join the manhunt, with one clip captioned: 'FINALLY EN ROUTE TO FIND MISSING LEE!!!' One person wrote: 'Good luck on your travels,' while many others jibed about how 'invested' they were about the manhunt for Lee.
Meanwhile, Katie took to Instagram in the early hours of Thursday, May 21, to share three cryptic posts on her stories. One image read: 'I'M NOT OVERWHELMED BECAUSE I CAN'T HANDLE IT. I'M OVERWHELMED BECAUSE I DO HANDLE IT. ALL. OF. IT. ALL. THE. F**KING. TIME.' Another slide seemed to hint at a change of heart, reading: 'Sometimes you just have to accept the situation and say, it's okay, it happens, it's life.' The third said: 'Focus on yourself, because nothing is more powerful than a woman who knows her worth, chases her goals, and dares to dream big.'
Katie originally raised the alarm last Thursday, saying his location tracker went dead at 10.03pm near the Hatta border point between the UAE and Oman. Lee is formally considered missing by the UK Government, with the Foreign Office confirming it is providing consular assistance to his family.
