Andy Carroll Reveals 2021 Sexual Assault by ‘Celebrity Mate’ in New Autobiography
Former England striker Andy Carroll has revealed that he was sexually assaulted by a male celebrity friend at his home in 2021. The 37-year-old made the disclosure in his autobiography, Owning It, released on Thursday. The unnamed attacker was subsequently convicted of sexual offenses and sentenced to three years in prison.
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Inside the 2021 Incident and Court Proceedings
The assault occurred in 2021 at Carroll’s home during his second spell with Newcastle United, hours after the striker had featured in a fixture. According to details published across multiple outlets, including BBC Sport, a friend of Carroll’s then-partner visited the property to watch a boxing match while his partner was away. Carroll experienced mounting discomfort, retired to bed after consuming a small number of drinks, and subsequently woke to find the individual attempting to perform oral sex on him.
Carroll immediately ejected the perpetrator from the premises. When the individual attempted to force entry back into the house, Carroll struck him, knocking him unconscious, before alerting emergency services. Court proceedings followed, during which Carroll testified. He described the judicial process in his book as “humiliating and embarrassing and absolutely horrendous.” The attacker stood trial, was found guilty of sexual offenses, received a three-year custodial sentence, was placed on the Sex Offender Register, and was subjected to an exclusion zone banning him from Carroll’s local village.
Weighing the Decision to Publish
The choice to include the assault in Owning It was deliberated heavily alongside his current partner, Lou Teasdale. Carroll noted that he avoided his publishers late in the editing cycle due to hesitation regarding going public. “I was sexually assaulted, there I said it,” Carroll wrote. “Scary to even think about and only a few people knew about it before now.”
The psychological toll impacted his professional athletic career significantly during his final years in top-flight and EFL football. Carroll noted that the trauma affected every facet of his daily routine and made concentration on professional duties difficult. Now plying his trade in the National League South with Dagenham & Redbridge—having joined the club in July 2025—Carroll hopes the disclosure will encourage others facing similar trauma to come forward, stating that if it helps a single individual, the exposure will have been worthwhile.
| Metric / Detail | Recorded Fact |
|---|---|
| Age / Current Club | 37 years old / Dagenham & Redbridge |
| Time of Assault | 2021 (During second spell at Newcastle United) |
| Attacker’s Sentence | 3 years imprisonment, Sex Offender Register, local exclusion ban |
| Autobiography Title | Owning It (Released Thursday) |
The Broader Impact on Carroll’s Post-Professional Journey
As detailed by The Independent, Carroll’s current commitments extend beyond playing duties into club co-ownership in non-league football.
The focus now shifts toward his ongoing involvement with Dagenham & Redbridge and the resolution of remaining personal court appearances scheduled for January.
