Cliff Notes – Megan Barton-Hanson ends ‘abusive’ relationship after fearing for her life
- Megan Barton-Hanson has publicly revealed the end of her relationship, citing fears for her life and experiences of coercive control and emotional abuse.
- She aims to raise awareness about domestic abuse, encouraging women to trust their instincts and seek help, while offering her support to domestic violence charities.
Megan Barton-Hanson ends ‘abusive’ relationship after fearing for her life
Megan Barton-Hanson has revealed she’s ended her relationship after allegedly fearing for her life (Picture: REX/Shutterstock)
Megan Barton-Hanson has revealed she’s ended her relationship after allegedly fearing for her life.
The Love island star, 31, has previously spoken about being a victim at the hands of an abusive ex.
She’s now revealed she ended a relationship in a post on Instagram, which was captioned: ‘In 2025, over 1.7 million women in the UK will experience domestic abuse. Shelters are overwhelmed. Awareness is crucial.
‘To any domestic violence charities — I want to help. Please reach out to my management. I’m making this my priority.
‘To every woman: trust your instincts, trust your loved ones, and never doubt your worth.’
In the post, Megan accused her partner – who is unnamed – of ‘coercive control and emotional abuse’.
She did not state when the relationship took place, or who she was involved with.
She said: ‘I wasn’t sure I was going to share this – because no matter how raw or real your truth is, there’s always a risk of judgement.
Megan took to Instagram with a lengthy post sharing her experience (Picture: Ben Whitley/PA Wire)
‘And lately, I’ve felt so low I wasn’t sure I could handle the backlash.
‘You might have noticed I went quiet on social media until recently. But silence helps no one. And this needs to be said.’
Megan spoke about an interview she gave last year with Married At First Sight expert Paul C Brunson, where she revealed a terrifying ordeal where she was raped by her ex and fell pregnant.
In the post on Instagram, Megan said: ‘I never imagined I’d find myself in that situation again.’
Megan said she wanted to raise awareness of domestic abuse after her own experience (Picture: Megan Barton Hanson/Instagram)
She then accused her ex-partner of coercively controlling and emotionally abusing her.
She said she was allegedly ‘manipulated, blamed, and made to feel worthless’ and claimed she was pressured into sending thousands of pounds to her then-partner, which he used ‘on escorts and luxury hotels’.
‘I was shamed for my work and silenced for my success,’ she claimed.
‘And like many others, I confused control for passion, and cruelty for love. I dropped charges I shouldn’t have.’
‘I was shamed for my work and silenced for my success,’ Megan said (Picture: Alan West/Hogan Media/Shutterstock)
Megan claimed the relationship ended when she ‘feared for my life’ because she wanted to go paddleboarding while he was working.
‘I’d gone all the way to Scotland to prove my loyalty – and still, I was the enemy in his eyes.’
She said she made the decision to share her story ‘for every woman who thinks it’s “not that bad” or “maybe it’s my fault”.’
‘Abuse hides behind charm, behind promises, behind guilt. But real love will never ask you to lose yourself.’
Megan appeared on Love Island in 2018 (Picture: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Megan was praised and supported by fans and friends alike for her bravery in sharing her story.
The Traitors star Charlotte Chilton wrote: ‘Well done for being raw babe.’
Fellow Love Island star Demi Jones said: ‘So important thank you for sharing.’
‘Sending so much love,’ This Morning’s Ashley Louise James wrote.
Megan was a finalist on Love Island UK’s fourth series in 2018, where she met Wes Nelson. The couple split months after leaving the contest, but remain civil.
She has since appeared on Celebs Go Dating, where she met Demi Sims with the pair briefly dating, Ex on the Beach, and Love Island Games.
Megan has often used her public profile to promote sex-positivity and hosts podcast The Ins and Outs, focused on the subject.