Caroline Flack took her own life after finding out she would be prosecuted for an assault on her boyfriend and would have to ‘face the press’, a coroner has ruled.
Coroner Mary Hassell said the fact the alleged assault case was “played out in the national press” was “incredibly difficult for her”, and she feared the loss of her hard-fought career.
The 40-year-old presenter was found dead at her home in Stoke Newington, north-east London, on February 15 2020.
An outpouring of grief followed the Strictly Come Dancing star’s tragic death.
On February 14 of this year, the former Love Island host had discovered prosecutors were going to proceed with the assault charge after she hit her boyfriend, Lewis Burton, with her phone while he slept following concerns he had been cheating on her.
PA reports friends said the star was expecting the charge to be dropped after her lawyers applied for the case to be thrown out.
Returning a determination of suicide at Poplar Coroner’s Court on Thursday, the coroner said: “Although her general fluctuating (mental) state was a background and important in her death, 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.
“To me that’s it in essence.”
