30 December 2024, 19:24
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Alamy
Popstar Anne-Marie has opened up about the “hardest year of our lives” after her husband Slowthai was found not guilty of raping two women at a house party after one of his concerts.
In an Instagram post on Monday, the singer, 33, shared a snap of the child the pair share together, named Seven.
She wrote: “2024, the most beautiful yet hardest year of our lives.
“God really (trying to) see how strong I am hahaha.
“I miss you all and I love you all more than you’ll ever know. I have so much for you in the new year that you’ll probably be sick of me, please don’t be, have the best break if you can and see you soon.”
The Grammy-nominated artist, real name Tyron Frampton, and his co-accused Alex Blake-Walker were both cleared at Oxford Crown Court on Monday of three joint charges of rape against two women.
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Frampton, 29, wept in court as the verdict came in. Blake-Walker, 27, was also cleared of an additional sexual assault charge.
The jury returned the verdicts following a two-week trial during which it was alleged the two defendants assaulted two women in the early hours of September 8, 2021.
Judge Ian Pringle KC told the court this case has “raised a lot of high feelings”.
Frampton had been removed from Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading festival line-ups after being accused of the assaults.
Frampton had performed at The Bullingdon music venue in Oxford on the evening of September 7 2021 when they met the two complainants, one of whom was described during the trial as a “huge fan” of Slowthai.
The two complainants joined Frampton on his tour bus before going to a friend’s house with the rapper.
Frampton, alongside Blake-Walker, then went on the roof of the property with the complainants, where the women claimed to be raped.
Frampton and Blake-Walker, of Wallbutton Road both agreed that sexual activity took place with the complainants on the night of the alleged assaults, but told the court that it was consensual.
In his evidence to the jury, the rapper said the allegations brought up against him were “just not true” and that the women were “lying”.
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Alamy
Frampton accepted that he and Blake-Walker had “fist-bumped” at the time but denied this was encouraging each other.
Relatives and friends of the accused, including Anne-Marie, sighed in relief as the verdicts were read out, and cheered loudly outside the courtroom.
Announcing the new baby on Instagram in April, after a private pregnancy, she previously described 2024 as “my favourite year already”.
In the post, Anne-Marie was dressed in an oversized checked shirt and seen planting a kiss on the baby’s cheek.
The singer, who began her career in 2013, has had seven UK top 10 singles and three UK top 10 albums, and is best-known for featuring on Clean Bandit’s UK number one single Rockabye.