Former glamour model Katie Price will have her TikTok income suspended as part of ongoing efforts to settle her outstanding debts following two bankruptcy declarations.
A judge ruled on Monday that it was "appropriate" to halt further payments to Ms Price from the social media platform while bankruptcy proceedings continue. The decision was made in a remote hearing, where Ms Price was neither present nor represented.
This move comes as part of a wider effort to ensure Ms Price complies with court orders regarding her finances. In February, she was ordered to pay 40% of her monthly earnings from the adult entertainment website OnlyFans to a designated bank account managed by the trustee overseeing her bankruptcies. This arrangement is set to remain in place until February 2027.
Barristers representing the trustee had previously requested an extension of this order to encompass TikTok, but the platform's legal team, while not opposing the move, stated that they couldn't consent due to the intricate payment mechanisms for content creators.
Following a series of hearings, the Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Catherine Burton ruled that TikTok payments to Ms Price would be suspended until a solution could be found.
Earlier this month, Ms Price was arrested at Heathrow Airport after failing to attend a court hearing regarding her finances. She has been ordered to appear before the court on 27 August, with no exceptions.
The 46-year-old has faced financial difficulties in recent years, having been declared bankrupt in November 2019 and again in March 2023, the latter due to an unpaid tax bill exceeding £750,000.
In July, the order regarding her OnlyFans earnings was expanded to include eight other companies from which Ms Price receives income. Barrister Darragh Connell, representing the trustee, expressed concern that "the sums of income being paid to the bankrupt will simply not be paid to the trustee" and argued that 40% remained a "reasonable sum" for Ms Price to contribute.
Regarding TikTok, Mr Connell raised a "real concern" about "potentially substantial sums flowing" to Ms Price without the trustee having "easy access" to those funds.
TikTok's legal representative, Lauren Kreamer, previously confirmed that the platform had paid Ms Price £84,000 for a three-month "agreement" involving the creation of e-commerce content. Additionally, the platform had paid Ms Price £9,989.92 and a series of smaller payments believed to be "commissions" generated by third parties through the platform.
While acknowledging the delay, Ms Kreamer stressed TikTok's commitment to complying with the court order and assured the court that the platform was not attempting to be "obstructive or difficult."
The suspension of Ms Price's TikTok income is a significant step in ensuring that the trustee can effectively manage her finances and work towards settling her outstanding debts. The upcoming court hearing on 27 August will likely provide further insight into the future of this complex case.
