Lee Andrews’ made a serious claim in his first video statement since leaving prison in Dubai, and it is not exactly a small one. The husband of Katie Price says he was taken by armed men near a border area, held without his phone, and later moved into the UAE legal system.
Andrews, who married Price in January after a brief romance, has been under close scrutiny for months over claims about his business background, wealth, and personal history. He has denied allegations of fraud and criminal wrongdoing.
What did Lee Andrews claim happened in Dubai?
In a video posted to his Instagram story after his release, Andrews said he was “safe and healthy and with his wife.” He then described what he claimed had happened before he ended up in custody.
“I was taken close to the Qatar Omani border at gunpoint and was captured by men with assault rifles,” he said.
“They did slap me around a little bit, the little s**ts. I was hand-tied, shackled and also with a hood over my head.
“From there I was taken to a black site and I had no use of my phone. From what I know, it was an extended arm of the national guard, and that’s all I can reveal at the moment.
“I have signed disclaimers now with state security, and from there I was put into the system.”
Andrews also rejected allegations that he had been involved in financial fraud or other criminal activity.
Why was he in prison?
That remains unclear, which is helpful to absolutely nobody.
Last month, Andrews disappeared after failing to appear for a scheduled Good Morning Britain interview. At the time, he was reportedly unable to leave Dubai. Price then claimed her husband had been “kidnapped.” Weeks later, he was found in Al-Awir prison, a facility in Dubai.
Andrews has claimed he was suspected of espionage. Dubai authorities have denied that, describing the matter instead as a “private civil matter.”
There has also been confusion around his reported bail. It was said to be £140,000, but it is not clear how the money was paid. Price had publicly said she would not give Andrews the cash.
In his video statement, Andrews said his detention was linked to the wider regional situation and his location near the border.
“Because of the tensions and things happening in the region and me being so close to the border, this is why I was suspected of espionage and held in a state security building without the use of a telephone [or] any rights to shower, contact or speak to any of my family, including the embassy or my wife,” he said.
He thanked Price for raising the alarm, saying: “Thank you to Katie for making such a noise where the UAE actually listened and let me go.”
What did Katie Price say after his release?
Price reposted Andrews’ video statement on social media with the caption: “My husband back.”
The couple reunited in Dubai over the weekend after Price travelled there following his release. In footage shared online, she was seen jumping into his arms as he lifted her up and hugged her.
Still, her public support has come with a note of caution. Last week, Price said she intended to speak to Andrews properly once he was out.
“He is coming out, I can’t wait to see him, can’t wait to have our chats, and he should be out next week, but knowing that, knowing what prisons are like even in England, you never know,” she said.
She also made clear she was not willing to fund his release.
“I’ve made it clear to Lee, I will never give him money, I’ll never give a man money, I’ve done it all my life, I’ve always been the breadwinner,” she said. “My divorces, I’m the one that always has to give. I said to Lee I’ll never do it.”
What has Andrews been accused of since marrying Price?
Since Andrews and Price married in January, his background has been picked apart in public. Some of the claims about him came from media reports, some from former partners, and some from inconsistencies in his own online presentation.
Questions over his business claims
When Price introduced Andrews as her new partner, he presented himself online as the chief executive of Aura Group Future Urban Travel 2027 and an “investor in SpaceX Hybrid Fitness.”
His social media profile, which had 111,000 followers, showed gym photos, luxury-looking Dubai images, and pictures that appeared to place him near figures including Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian.
His claims were later met with heavy doubt. Reports said there was little meaningful information about his company on its website, while some images involving celebrities could have been AI-generated.
Reports he could not leave Dubai
After Price and Andrews met and married in Dubai, Price returned to the United Kingdom. Andrews did not travel with her.
Reports claimed he had previously served time in Dubai’s Al-Awir central prison over suspected fraud, allegedly connected to a £200,000 mortgage taken out in an ex-girlfriend’s name without her knowledge.
The United Arab Emirates can prevent people facing criminal investigations from leaving the country. Andrews denied at the time that he was unable to return to the UK, saying there must have been “wrong details.”
Price later confirmed he was subject to a travel ban, but did not explain the reason.
The pregnancy tease
A few weeks into their relationship, Price and Andrews suggested they were expecting a child.
Price said she was “having his child,” while Andrews wrote that they were a “perfect couple soon to be triple.” At one point, Price encouraged followers to pay £2.99 to see the result of a pregnancy test.
She later confirmed she was not pregnant.
Claims from former partners
Days after the wedding, two of Andrews’ exes accused him of being a “liar, narcissist and manipulator.”
Two months later, reports claimed he had asked women for money in the weeks before marrying Price. One former partner, Alana, posted on Instagram calling him the “Tinder Swindler” and claimed other women had contacted her to say he had tried to scam them too.
Andrews has denied fraud and criminal conduct.
Claims he had “ghosted” Price
When Andrews did not return to the UK last week, Price said she feared he had been kidnapped and reported him missing.
A later report claimed Andrews had actually “ghosted” his wife, was staying in a slightly run-down villa in Dubai, and was using a burner phone while trying to work out what to do next.
Andrews has now said he had a “civil case” in Dubai, which led to him being taken into the main prison system at Al-Awir during Eid.
“I was able to secure my release, and I’m here now, so thank you to everybody for listening,” he said.
For Price, her public position is clear enough for now: she is standing by him, at least for now. But she has also said there will be conversations. Given the past few weeks, that may be one of the more restrained ways to describe what comes next.
