Copyright hellomagazine
Disney+'s new two-part documentary about the death of TV presenter Caroline Flack includes previously unseen footage of the Love Island host in distress as she revealed the abuse she faced after being arrested over an alleged assault on her boyfriend, Lewis Burton. The documentary, titled Caroline Flack: Search for the Truth, explores the circumstances surrounding the death of Caroline, who became the target of a media storm following the assault charge and took her own life at the age of 40 in February 2020. The two-parter is executive produced by Curious Films, the production company behind 2021 documentary Caroline Flack: Her Life and Death. It follows Caroline's mother, Christine, as she investigates the truth about her daughter's final months. In the video, which was filmed 72 hours after her arrest on 16 December 2019, Caroline opened up about the ordeal. "I'm doing this because I want to remember what I went through and what my family went through, what my boyfriend went through, what his family went through," she said. "It's three days after I've been arrested for having a fight with my boyfriend. I've always cooperated with the police since they arrived. I was put in a cell. I was promised that I was anonymous and this wouldn't be going further, and it was a really private situation," continued the presenter. Sharing her devastation after losing her job, Caroline said: "Five minutes after I left the station, they've gone to the press, all the details, everything. Since then, I lost my job, the job I've worked all my life on. I’m living in a hotel. I'm receiving so much abuse." She added: "It was a fight. I've never hurt anyone in my life, the only person I ever hurt is myself." What happened after Caroline's arrest? Following her arrest, the CPS initially decided that Caroline would only receive a caution. However, this was overturned after an appeal from the Met Police and instead, she faced a charge of assault. In August 2020, a coroner ruled that Caroline took her own life after learning prosecutors would proceed with the assault charge, which was in relation to an incident where she hit Lewis Burton with her phone while he slept, due to concerns that he had been unfaithful. Caroline's death led to a widespread debate about press ethics and mental health. The coroner, in their ruling in August 2020, stated that Caroline took her life due to distress over the impending prosecution, noting the intense media pressure surrounding her arrest.
