To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that
supports HTML5
video
Megan Barton-Hanson has recounted a terrifying ordeal at the hands of an abusive ex.
The Love Island star, who said the crime took place before she found fame, fell pregnant after a former partner removed a condom without her consent during intercourse. This is an illegal practise called stealthing, which is a form of rape.
Megan claimed her ex, an older man, then became angry as they drove home after she had an abortion.
Speaking to Paul Carrick Brunson on his podcast We Need to Talk, Megan said: ‘He was like, “You’re disgusting. You just killed our baby.”
‘Then he’s like, “You make me sick”, then he got the seat belt, wrapped it around my neck, bit my nose – this was post nose job – and said, “Think you’re pretty with that new nose?”, bit it, started filming me and goes, “Cry, b***h. Go and tell the camera what you’ve just done”,’ Megan said.
‘I was in so much shock, I couldn’t even have tears. I couldn’t breathe.’
Megan said the man threatened to kill her and she was given ’10 seconds to run’ to safety.
‘We’re on a motorway, cars are speeding past at 70mph. I thought, even if I try [to run] it’s just going to anger him more because he’s definitely going to catch me, so I just stood there frozen,’ she said.
The 30-year-old said the ‘nightmare’ continued after being taken to her parents’ home as he showed up with a crowbar. She added the man then ‘squared up’ to her dad Kevin, and ‘strangled’ her mum Justine. As the family sought safety in their car, the ex threw the crowbar through the back window.
What to do if you're experiencing domestic abuse
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, you are not alone. And whether you are currently coping with or have made the decision to leave, you do have options.
- If you are thinking about leaving, domestic abuse charity Refuge suggests starting a record of abusive incidents, which might include saving pictures or messages, or making notes of times, dates and details of incidents.
- The next step is to make copies of important documents such as court orders, marriage certificates, National Insurance Numbers and your driving licence.
- In the meantime, identify the safer areas of your home so that you know where to go if your abuser becomes aggravated. Ideally, this should be a room with a phone and a door or window to the outside.
- If you feel ready to leave, start by making a plan for a safe, reliable route out. If you feel safe to do so, pack an emergency bag so that you leave in a hurry if needed.
- You can access a local refuge, either with or without children, for as long as you need to stay. The address is confidential. The National Domestic Abuse Helpline (0808 2000 247) is open 24-hours a day and has all the details of refuges in your area.
- In an emergency situation, ring 999 and ask for the police. If you aren’t able to talk, try the Silent Solution: after dialling 999, listen to the questions from the operator and respond by coughing or tapping your device, if possible. If prompted, press 55 to let the operator know it’s an emergency – you’ll be put through to the police.
Read more here.
‘I thought he’d literally kill me, the way he was. He was acting literally psychotic,’ she recalled.
Megan reported the incident to the police, and after she’d testified in court, he was sentenced to a month and a half in prison.
The reality star also shared that she’d been held at knifepoint and made to financially support another partner.
‘He put a knife to my throat and asked me to put his bank details into my online banking and transfer him ten grand a month because he was taxing me for not loving him,’ she said.
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 Metro launched This Is Not Right, a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women.
Throughout the year we will be bringing you stories that shine a light on the sheer scale of the epidemic.
With the help of our partners at Women’s Aid, This Is Not Right aims to engage and empower our readers on the issue of violence against women.
You can find more articles here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
Read more:
- Introducing This Is Not Right: Metro’s year-long violence against women campaign
- Yvette Cooper’s message to abusers and rapists: The streets don’t belong to you
- Remembering the women killed by men in 2024
- Stories about violence against women don’t make an impact – this is why
- Men – we need your help to end violence against women
- What to do if your loved one is at risk from domestic abuse
‘My hands were shaking. I was like, “Okay, okay”. He was smashing my whole house up, saying “Yeah, I know you don’t love me, you f***ing bitch”.’
Megan stayed in the relationship, and he continued to abuse her when they took a holiday together. She remembers him slapping her, pacing their room, and calling her ‘an escort slut’. Previously to Love Island, Megan has worked as a stripper, and has done webcam work. She now creates content for OnlyFans.
Since these ordeals, Megan has gone through therapy and feels in a good place. She has decided to speak about it now in order to help other women.
‘I don’t like to speak about it because it drags up all that trauma, but I read just on the way in the car today, three women a week kill themselves because of domestic abuse because they can’t escape it,’ she said.
‘So the more we report, the more is going to be done.’
Megan was a finalist on Love Island UK’s fourth series in 2018, witheventual boyfriend (and now ex) Wes Nelson. The couple split months after leaving the contest, but remain civil.
She has since appeared on Celebs Go Dating, where she met Demi Sims with the pair briefly dating, Ex on the Beach, and Love Island Games.
Megan has often used her public profile to promote sex-positivity and hosts podcast The Ins and Outs, focused on the subject.
If you have recently been raped and you are still at risk, ring 999 and ask for the police. If you don’t want to contact the police yet – or ever – Rape Crisis suggest talking to someone you trust about what has happened. If you don’t want to talk to someone you know, you can ring one of the UK’s many rape and sexual assault helplines. Anyone aged 16+ can contact Rape Crisis’s 24/7 Support Line by calling 0808 500 2222 or starting an online chat.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.