
Megan Barton-Hanson makes fresh abuse accusations as she claims 'I feared for my life'
Megan Barton-Hanson took to Instagram to claim she has again been the victim of domestic abuse and said she is speaking out on the trauma as 'silence helps no one'
Megan Barton Hanson has claimed she has been the victim of domestic abuse, revealing that she "feared" for her life in a relationship. The former Love Island star admitted she wasn't going to open up on her ordeal, but said "silence helps no one".
She candidly wrote a long statement on Instagram, claiming that an ex-partner became "violent" towards her. She said: "After my interview with Paul Brunson, I felt so hopeful - like I was finally in a place to open up to love again after surviving two previous experiences of domestic abuse.
"I never imagined I'd find myself in that situation again. But here I am, sharing yet another chapter of surviving coercive control and emotional abuse - because too many women can relate."
The reality TV star said that despite her financial stability and career confidence, she was "manipulated, blamed, and made to feel worthless". She claimed she was pressured to send large sums of money to "prove" her love.
While Megan doesn't name the man in question, she said she "confused control for passion and cruelty for love" before saying: "I dropped charges I shouldn't have".
She continued: "But love doesn't hurt. Love respects. Love never makes you feel small, unsafe, or silenced."
She claimed things ended when she "feared for my life" while her partner was working. "That moment shook me to the core," she claimed before saying "I was the enemy in his eyes".
"I've made excuses in the past," she went on. "Blaming my own high standards or strong will, but this time, I won't. There's no excuse for violence. None."
Megan said she wasn't looking for sympathy by sharing the comments, but wanted everyone to know they "deserve to feel safe in your relationship".
She shared harrowing stats regarding domestic abuse, saying over 1.7million women have experienced it in the UK in 2025. Megan said she is now making it her priority to raise awareness and "fight for change" however she can.
The identity of her ex-partner is not know and could not be contacted for comment.
Megan has previously opened up on other incidents. Last year, she revealed she has experienced 'stealthing' up to six times, before realising it's a form of sexual assault. The rarely reported crime can carry a prison sentence.
She recalled how on up to six occasions, while sleeping with a man, they have claimed the condom has split, which lead her to having an abortion. Classified as rape, the slang term 'stealthing', is used to describe the non consensual removal of a condom during sex, without informing the other person. But tragically, Megan "didn't know it was a crime" until speaking to Married At First Sight expert Paul C Brunson on the We Need to Talk podcast.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Caitlin Clark's new Wilson basketballs reveal who she is as a person
The colors, the patterns, the detailing -- all are the result of months-long conversations between Clark and Wilson's design team about who she is, what she likes and what messages she wants to send to young fans. "It was a really fun process for me to go through," Clark told USA TODAY Sports. "It's things that are super important to me and all very different things, too, throughout my life. So hopefully they can make an impact on whoever's going to pick the ball up." Clark joined Michael Jordan as the only athletes to be brand ambassadors for Wilson, signing a multiyear sponsorship deal in May 2024 with the official manufacturer of basketballs for the WNBA, NBA and NCAA. In part because of the short turnaround time before the release of her first signature ball last October, Clark's first line leaned heavily into history. The records she broke at Iowa. Her historic rookie season with the WNBA's Indiana Fever. But Clark and Wilson knew they wanted future lines to be more personal, reflecting who Clark is as a person as much as a player. "She's actually influencing this. It's not just people at Wilson picking the design," Hudson Vantrease, director of product design at Wilson, said. "We never wanted to just put her name on a ball and call it a day," he added. "We want to tell the most compelling story, and having her as part of that is a positive to it." Wilson invited USA TODAY Sports to attend the design team meeting in April where Clark saw the finished basketballs for the first time. The design team also gave USA TODAY Sports a behind-the-scenes look at the collaboration process with Clark for the latest collection, which will be released June 23. There are four balls in the collection, and they differ in both purpose (one is an indoor-only ball, one is outdoor-only and two can be used either indoors or outdoors) and price point. One, the Embrace, is an Evo NXT basketball, meaning it has the same construction as a regulation W ball and could be used in official games. "Awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome," Clark said when she walked into the Indiana Fever's practice gym and saw the four new basketballs. "You guys killed it." The team responsible for developing Clark's line has about a dozen core members. They met with Clark at last year's All-Star Game and got her initial thoughts about the collection, including what a young Caitlin Clark would have wanted. "I think she said a blue ball," said Haley Reines, the product line manager at Wilson. Afterward, Reines and product designer Julia Muscarello sent Clark a detailed questionnaire, asking her everything from her favorite color (blue) to her hobbies outside of basketball (golf, being on the water) to what she'd be if she wasn't a basketball player (chef). They also monitored social media, taking note of Clark's clothes -- there's an Instagram account devoted to her fits -- and what she does off the court. "I don't want to say borderline stalking, but yeah," Muscarello said with a laugh. "I was trying to stay on the Caitlin pulse." Those answers and details drove the design process, which involved "hundreds" of hours. Christopher Rickert, the senior director of global production at Wilson, said the team began with 50 design ideas and whittled them down. Sometimes the color wasn't right. Sometimes the pattern didn't work. Sometimes what seemed like a great idea on paper didn't quite translate into reality. When the team had 10 ideas, they sent the designs to Clark for her thoughts. There were further tweaks, and prototypes were made to make sure the designs looked the same on an actual basketball as they did in drawings. The four designs ultimately chosen for this year's line all have very different looks, but there's a commonality to all of them. Clark. "Whenever I do something, I want to make it the best product possible for people. But also I feel like this is an easy way for me to connect with my fans," Clark said of being so involved in the design process. "I want it to feel very personal for them, too. They can connect with me, not just by watching me on TV or coming and buying a ticket to a game." Take the Oasis ball, which can be used indoors and outdoors. Clark told Reines and Muscarello that her favorite color is blue, she likes pastels and her happy places are the water and golf course. So the panels of the Oasis ball are white and light blue, and the light blue panels have what looks like pink and green splashes of paint but is actually an abstract drawing of a golf course. Clark picked up on it right away when she saw the ball. "That looks like a hole on a golf course!" she exclaimed. Light blue is also the shade used for the pattern on the Envision, an outdoor ball. At first glance, it looks like a maze, but it's really the words "DREAM BIG." That phrase is also on the Aspire, an indoor/outdoor ball that at first appears to be white or grey. Put it in the sunlight, however, and the phrases "Dream Big," "Keep Going" and "You're Going to Be Amazing Because You Are Amazing" emerge in bold, Fever-red letters. That last phrase is what Clark says to Boston before every game. "See, she loves it!" Clark said, pointing to a picture of her and Boston on the bench that was on the design team's planning whiteboard. "We'll get her a free basketball. She'll love it. I'm going to put it in her locker." Because the Embrace is an official basketball, it cannot have any obvious detailing. Look closely, though, and you can see a pattern -- again, light blue -- within the Wilson logo and in what looks like a sunburst around the airhole. Both are the visual representation of the decibel level at a Fever game; the Wilson team took an audio file of the sound and made a graphic out of it. "Fans really admire how she just plays so well under pressure," Muscarello said. "Sometimes it's OK to embrace the noise." Though Clark had been involved in every step of the design process, seeing the basketballs on a computer screen is very different than holding the finished product. Clark picked up each of the basketballs and examined it, taking note of the different details. She spun each ball and shifted it from one hand to the other. She also studied the design team's white boards, pointing to some of the notes and photos. Though she initially seemed most taken by the Oasis ball, she was fascinated with the Envision's UV technology and said she'd have loved to have had a basketball that revealed "secret" messages when she was a kid. She also was impressed that Wilson's design team was able to turn a decibel meter reading into a design. "They're all unique in their own way. They all have different things I love about them," Clark said. "I think they each serve their own purpose and are different. "So I guess you have to buy 'em all!" she added, laughing. While there will be some fans who buy the whole collection, whether to use or keep as memorabilia, Clark was conscious of not pricing any fans out of the new line. Two of the balls are less than $50, with the outdoor Envision ball costing $27.95 and the Oasis indoor ball priced at $49.95, while the Aspire outdoor ball is $54.95. The Embrace, which is Wilson's premium Evo NXT basketball, costs $124.95. All the balls will be available on Wilson's website and at retail sporting goods stores. Last year's collection sold out almost immediately and, given the appetite for all things Clark, it's a good bet this one will, too. "It's kind of cool to see how the balls came back and they feel very `me,'" Clark told USA TODAY Sports. "That's what I love about it. I feel like I'm sharing part of my life and my journey with people. "I could have never dreamed (as a child) to have something like this," she added. "It's pretty special." Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE MAFS bride Rhi Disljenkovic slams cruel pregnancy speculation after Jamie Marinos was forced to shut down baby rumours: 'It actually hurts'
Married At First Sight bride Rhi Disljenkovic has hit back at hurtful pregnancy rumours after fans began questioning her appearance in recent photos. The 35-year-old fitness blogger says she was left feeling 'disappointed' and 'self-conscious' after seeing online chatter suggesting she might be expecting. 'Honestly, it's disappointing,' Rhi told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday. 'I put on a bit of weight during and after the experiment and I was already feeling self-conscious about it. So when people start speculating or comment like that, it doesn't just roll off your back... it actually hurts.' The brunette, known for her bubbly personality, said it's frustrating that women are constantly expected to justify any physical changes. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'There's this weird expectation that women have to explain any changes to their body - and the second we're not shredded or photographed well, people jump to conclusions like pregnancy,' she said. 'You never know what someone's going through, and even if someone was pregnant, it's such a personal thing.' 'It's not gossip - it's hurtful, and it can affect someone's mental health,' she said. 'We've got to do better.' It comes just days after her co-star Jamie Marinos was forced to shut down similar rumours. Jamie, 29, was photographed at a recent event in Melbourne wearing a form-fitting outfit, which prompted online speculation about a supposed baby bump. She later took to Instagram to address the rumours, stating firmly that she was not pregnant and reminding fans that certain angles and lighting can be misleading. Marinos sparked baby rumours over the weekend after appearing in a gallery of snaps from Voir Vodka dinner at Bar Bambi in Melbourne, which she attended alongside her co-stars Eliot Donovan and Teejay Halkias. The images, shared by @mafsgossip, included a shot of Jamie posing with Eliot - who she has been romantically linked to in recent months - wearing a sleek all-black outfit which seemed to hint at a small bump. 'Is it me or does Jaime look like she's got a bump?' one fan commented, while another added, 'Just don't know if it's a baby bump or photoshopped to look like it. But 100% it's a bump!' But Jamie wasted no time shutting down the speculation, jumping into the comments to address the chatter directly. 'I'm going to blame the lighting on that, because it does and I can assure you there's no bump,' she wrote, adding a laughing emoji. In another cheeky comment, the blonde beauty joked, 'Why am I excited now for a non-existent baby?' before confirming the 'countless' vodkas she consumed that night were proof enough she wasn't expecting. The MAFS star later doubled down, taking to her Instagram Stories to share the same photo and write: 'What in the optical illusion is this? I look like I have a baby bump.' She added: 'How funny would it be if at an event for an alcohol brand I announce a pregnancy, except it wouldn't be funny because I'd be pissed the f**k off that I'm sober.' Since the show wrapped in April, Jamie and Eliot have emerged as two of the most-followed cast members, regularly sparking dating rumours with their flirty comments, TikTok videos and joint appearances at events. Despite their undeniable chemistry, Jamie previously clarified their relationship during a Q&A with fans, insisting: 'We are really good friends. 'He's been such a great support system, always makes me laugh and I'm super grateful to have him around.' She added: 'We are both single, and focusing on ourselves at the moment – but who knows what the future holds.' Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Jamie and Eliot echoed that sentiment, saying they've struck up an 'unlikely friendship' post-show and are simply 'taking each day as it comes'. The pair first sparked romance rumours after attending Daily Mail Australia's reunion party in April. 'Jamie is an absolute babe and I would be very lucky to be in a romantic relationship with her... but at this point in time, we are just close friends,' he told 9Entertainment. 'I'm not in any kind of position to be navigating a romantic relationship but I wouldn't rule anything out. I am absolutely loving going on this journey with Jamie by my side.' Eliot spoke highly of his relationship with Jamie and said their friendship had grown since meeting during filming last year.


Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Jess and Norma: TikTok gran who amassed millions of fans with her granddaughter dies aged 91 leaving family ‘devastated'
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A GRANDMA who rose to fame on TikTok posting funny videos with her granddaughter has died aged 91. Norma, who amassed more than 2.7 million followers on the social media app with her granddaughter Jess, 32, died on June 5, her family announced yesterday. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 TikTok star Norma has died at the age of 91 Credit: Instagram 4 The gran was famed for her funny videos alongside granddaughter Jess, 32 Credit: Instagram 4 Norma's family announced her death on social media yesterday alongside a moving tribute Credit: TikTOk The pair created countless heartwarming funny videos on TikTok, including one where Norma says "we're related" in a series of funny voices - mimicking a cow and a vampire - with both collapsing into fits of giggles. Announcing her death on social media, Norma's family wrote: "05/06/2025, the day our family lost our rock, our everything, our beautiful, precious, perfect lady. "We are all truly devastated and our lives will never be the same. "We want you all to know that Nan fell to sleep peacefully, surrounded by all her family, she was full of love and had the most beautiful care. "If anyone deserves a place in heaven, it's you Nanny Norma." The moving tribute also highlighted how social media and the online community around her TikTok had "made Nan's last years so incredibly special". Norma's family added: "Her cup was full and in her own words she 'lived such a wonderful life'. "91 years was never going to be enough and she has left the biggest hole in all of our hearts. "Reunited with her husband and family, until we meet again, our queen." More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.