In a surprising turn of events, Love Island star Kaz Crossley has recently divulged the perplexing and emotionally charged details of her arrest in Dubai. During an intimate conversation with host Grace Barry on the Saving Grace podcast, the reality star provided a glimpse into the tumultuous experience that left her emotionally scarred.
In February 2023, the former Love Islander found herself in a nightmarish situation when she was apprehended at Abu Dhabi airport while awaiting a connecting flight to Thailand. The 28-year-old was subsequently transferred to a Dubai prison, facing the grim prospect of spending at least three months behind bars. What triggered her arrest was a leaked video from 2020, which showed Kaz snorting lines of white powder while vacationing in Dubai; it was widely reported that this video served as the basis for her arrest. Fortunately, Kaz was eventually released from custody.
During her conversation with host Grace, Kaz Crossley disclosed a shocking revelation: an “abusive” ex-boyfriend had maliciously leaked the incriminating video as an act of revenge after their breakup. She recounted the ordeal, stating, “He was controlling and emotionally abusive – destroying my possessions and manipulating me.” Kaz went on to describe how her ex-boyfriend orchestrated the release of the video, saying, “He created an Instagram account named ‘Kaz sniffing’ and followed thousands of other accounts. It was unfathomable to me that someone could be so sinister and calculating.”
She continued, “Initially, I couldn’t bring myself to believe it was him; I thought it might have been one of his friends. However, he denied any involvement as well. Astonishingly, I continued to share a bed with him for an entire year after he had surreptitiously recorded those videos of me without my consent. I had absolutely no clue.”
Kaz’s arrest in Abu Dhabi and her subsequent nights in jail received significant media attention at the time. She revealed to Grace that she had been transferred to three different prisons in Dubai within a week. She recollected, “I was repeatedly told that I wasn’t being arrested; they just informed me that I was going somewhere to spend the night. But then I found myself in a shared cell with several other women, and it was a terrifying experience.”
Kaz’s journey took another harrowing turn when she was transferred to yet another jail. It was during this period that she hit rock bottom emotionally. Tearfully, she recounted, “Inside this jail, there was a six-month-old baby with their mother. In Abu Dhabi, it’s illegal to have children with someone you’re not married to, so the baby was also incarcerated.”
With tears streaming down her face, she explained, “I was at the lowest point of my life, and holding and comforting this baby in that jail was truly heartbreaking. I went without bathing or brushing my teeth for three days in that jail, and it was during this time that I developed a bald patch on my head – the beginning of my struggles with alopecia.”
Kaz was eventually released without charges, which she described as an immense relief. However, she acknowledged her past mistakes, admitting, “I recognize that I made a grave error by using it in a place where it’s incredibly illegal. I was in a dark place in my life. It was a period when I didn’t love myself at all, and this was reflected in my self-destructive behavior and the people I surrounded myself with.”
She went on to discuss how her mental health suffered as a consequence of the scandal. “In addition to losing brand deals and battling depression, the onslaught of negative comments was relentless,” she revealed. “Typically, negative comments don’t affect me, but when you’re at such a low point and have such a low opinion of yourself, having others pile on is agonizing.”
Kaz also addressed the glaring disparities between men and women in the media. She asserted, “Men and women in this industry are far from equal. When a woman makes a mistake, she is often held accountable for that mistake, and it defines her identity for the rest of her life. In contrast, a man who seeks redemption after a mistake is often hailed as a hero. I had to learn this the hard way.”
Sharing a segment of the interview on her Instagram grid, the influencer described the conversation as a “safe space to speak [her] truth.” She also expressed her aspirations to create a documentary that highlights the injustice faced by men and women in the media. She concluded with a poignant statement, saying, “I emerged from the era of Love Island that was marked by the tragedy of Caroline Flack, and it saddens me to see that, even years later, so little has changed.”
