Why was Boy George in jail? Brutal assault on male escort he chained and whipped

I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! is back on our TV screens for yet another season in the jungle.

Culture Club singer Boy George is one of many famous faces in this year’s line-up of the ITV show, which includes the likes of Matt Hancock and Mike Tindall.

In fact, he is reportedly one of the highest paid stars ever on the show, receiving a fee of £500,000 for his appearance.

READ MORE: Ant and Dec abruptly end I’m A Celebrity as ITV tradition ‘scrapped’ due to twist

However, the channel has faced backlash over the pop icon’s place in the line-up due to his past conviction and time spent in jail.

Here’s why Boy George went to prison and how long he served.

Why did Boy George go to prison?

Boy George was convicted of assault and false imprisonment in 2009, after handcuffing Norwegian model and male escort Audun Carlsen to a wall and beating him with a metal chain.

Carlsen has spoken out about the incident, saying: “He said he wanted to get milk. I heard him talking, I thought it was a neighbour. Then he asked me to come to the bedroom and there he was with another man.

“They jumped on me, kicked, dragged me along the floor. He handcuffed me to the wall and told the man to go, saying he’d deal with me from now on. The guy was there for 20 minutes. I was hooked to the wall for about half an hour. I was s*** scared.”

The model added that he was only able to get free from the cuffs after breaking the fixture he was handcuffed to.

Boy George denied the charge and claimed that Carlsen had hacked his laptop and stolen pictures.

However, the singer admitted he had handcuffed the model to the wall.

This wasn’t the first time Boy George had been in trouble with the law. In 2006, he was sentenced to community service after he pleaded guilty to making a false police report about a burglary at his New York apartment.

How much time did Boy George serve in prison?

Boy George was sentenced to 15 months in jail but he was released after four months due to good behaviour, though he did have an ankle monitor.

While on release he requested to be a guest on the final series of Celebrity Big Brother, but this was refused by his judge who said that someone serving the non-custodial part of their sentence “should not be allowed to take part in a high profile, controversial television production, promoting his status as a celebrity and with considerable financial gain”.

What has Boy George said about his time in prison?

Boy George has spoken about his time in prison, describing it as a “life-changing” experience.

He said: “I always maintained that jail would finish me off, but it didn’t. You somehow find the strength. I feel I came out of that situation with some wisdom and knowledge.

“I really don’t view that period in my life as negative… but I wouldn’t want to go back.”

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk