Andy Carroll identifies his abuser in court documents
Former England footballer Andy Carroll has publicly identified the man who sexually assaulted him, after his name appeared in court documents, reports BritPanorama.
Carroll, 37, states that Kevin Adams, a dance coach on the BBC talent show Fame Academy in 2002, attacked him while he was asleep at home. Adams, now 59, was convicted at Chelmsford Crown Court in 2023 and sentenced to 20 months in prison.
Prior to this revelation, Carroll had not named Adams when discussing the assault in his autobiography, Owning It: In My Own Words. He noted that only a few people close to him were aware of the incident before the book’s publication.
After the court filings named Adams, Carroll confirmed his identity to The Sun on Sunday, stating, “Now that Kevin Adams has been named in court documents as my abuser, I can confirm it. Hopefully now I can finally start to put this chapter behind me.”
Carroll requested that people refrain from circulating photographs of the pair, expressing his desire not to be constantly reminded of the incident. He emphasized, “I don’t want to keep seeing his face or being reminded of him every time this story is spoken about. I’m ready to move forward. This had a devastating impact on my life and loved ones.”
Adams has since made his social media accounts private. Carroll recounts that giving evidence at the trial was “humiliating and horrendous.” During the proceedings, the court heard Adams claim he had been attacked without cause after Carroll awoke during the assault and knocked him unconscious. Judge Mary Loram rejected Adams’s assertions, accusing him of portraying himself as a victim.
In her judgement, she said, “You spun a literally incredible tale in which you painted yourself as the victim… However incredible your account, it seems to me that you’ve actually started to believe your own lies.” She also noted that there was “no realistic prospect of rehabilitation” for Adams.
Adams was placed on the sex offenders register and banned from Carroll’s village. In his memoir, Carroll described the assault as something he would “quite like to forget but can’t,” explaining that he wrestled with the decision to include the incident in his book, ultimately consulting with his partner, Lou Teasdale, before doing so.
Carroll elaborated that Adams had previously invited him and his former partner out and had purchased clothes for him. On the night of the incident, Adams had texted Carroll, asking to come over to watch boxing. Carroll later felt light-headed after Adams mixed drinks, and when he offered to call a taxi, Adams insisted on staying in the spare room.
“I sleep naked, and when I wake up, this guy is under the duvet,” Carroll wrote, noting he ordered Adams to leave, striking him in the process.
Following the assault, police arrived, and both men were taken to the station. Carroll reflected on the experience, highlighting its pervasive impact on his life, stating that he now thinks about the trauma daily, which adversely affects his focus, even in football.
Carroll’s story is a stark reminder of how personal battles often unfold in the public eye, intertwining the struggles of identity, accountability, and the quest for closure in the aftermath of trauma.
