Boy George has become embroiled in another social media row after disputing claims about the criminal conviction that resulted in him being jailed in 2009.
The Culture Club singer, whose real name is George O’Dowd, challenged former Labour MP Zarah Sultana during an exchange on X after she referred to his conviction for falsely imprisoning Norwegian male escort Audun Carlsen.
The case dates back to 2007, when Carlsen was detained at the singer’s east London home.
O’Dowd was subsequently convicted of false imprisonment following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
In January 2009, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
The court heard that Carlsen had been handcuffed to a wall during the incident.
O’Dowd has previously spoken publicly about the period surrounding the offence and his struggles with drug addiction.
Despite the conviction and prison sentence being matters of public record, the singer has recently challenged the way the case has been characterised online and has threatened legal action over some claims made about him.
His latest exchange with Sultana prompted social media users to resurface reports of the original court proceedings and sentence.
The disagreement appears to centre not on whether O’Dowd was convicted and imprisoned — both are established facts — but on the precise description being used for what happened and the circumstances surrounding the offence.
Boy George has previously spoken about turning his life around following years of drug addiction and legal difficulties.
The latest row has nevertheless brought the 2009 case back into the spotlight more than 17 years after he was sentenced.
