Andy Carroll Cancels Book Event Amid Revelation of Sexual Assault

Footballer Andy Carroll has canceled a book signing and Q&A event at Dagenham Football Club just hours before it was scheduled to begin, citing "unforeseen circumstances." The event, which was to feature the release of Carroll's £22 book, was expected to include candid discussions about his career.

The cancellation comes shortly after Carroll revealed in his new book, "Owning It," that he was sexually assaulted by a "celebrity mate" several years ago. He described the incident as "traumatic" and stated that he only decided to include the passage in the book at the last minute after extensive discussions with his publisher. The attacker was later convicted of sexual offenses and received a three-year prison sentence.

Carroll detailed the assault, which occurred after a Newcastle United game. He recounted how a friend of his former partner invited himself over to watch a boxing match. Carroll wrote that he began to feel lightheaded and suspected he might have been drugged before waking to find himself being assaulted. He noted that the attacker had previously shown him an unusual level of attention.

Elsewhere in the book, Carroll discusses his marriage to TOWIE star Billi Mucklow, calling it a "car crash" and stating their relationship was "on its last legs" before they married. He also wrote about his two years spent alone in France for a transfer from Reading, explaining that Mucklow had reneged on a promise to join him, which led to his depression.

The couple, who have three children together, became engaged in 2014 and married in 2022. The wedding ceremony was nearly called off due to an incident on Carroll's stag do in Dubai. The marriage ended less than two years later, with Carroll confirming divorce proceedings had begun.

Following his split from Mucklow, Carroll began a relationship with celebrity hairstylist Lou Teasdale. He met Teasdale at Glastonbury shortly after making headlines for a public altercation. Carroll described Teasdale as being "caring and easy to talk to" and credited her with introducing him to a new perspective, suggesting they "saved" each other.