By Sheila Mckenzie-
Piers Morgan felt ‘hurt’ over the backlash he received following the tragic death of Love Island presenter Caroline Flack.
The Good Morning Britain presenter, 55, said in his new book that the response he received after paying tribute to the star in February was “hurtful.”
Today marks the 8th month anniversary of the Love Island star’s tragic death.
In his new book ‘Wake Up’, Piers recalled the shocking moment that he learned that Caroline had taken her own life via a Whatsapp from his son.
The well known television presenter took to social media to share his condolences and remember the late Love Island star, but was hit with a barrage of abuse from online trolls.
In the diary entries, Piers wrote: “The court of public opinion instantly delivered another verdict: I was to blame for Caroline’s suicide.
“Yes, me, someone who had tried to help her privately and publicly through her darkest time, and who had never written or said a bad word about her in my life,” Piers added.
He added: “Yes, me, someone who had tried to help her privately and publicly through her darkest time, and who had never written or said a bad word about her in my life.”
While Piers admitted that he had written and published “many negative stories about other celebrities” in the past, he said the online abuse that he received after Caroline Flack’s death had a massive impact on him.
He explained: “Caroline was a friend of mine and I had nothing to do with her death, so the ferocious outpouring of abuse suggesting I did is as wrong as it is hurtful.”
He said: “The foul-mouthed savagery of the ‘YOU F****** KILLED HER YOU C***’ vitriol spewing into my Twitter feed stung more than the usual troll abuse.
“I feel desperately saddened by her death and utterly enraged at now being blamed for it.
“And what a sick irony that the very same keyboard warriors accusing people like me of hounding Caroline to her death are the people who incessantly post abuse to celebrities and people in the media – and who are right now busily hounding those same people online.”
Piers said the abuse was continuous, and said the messages were getting to him after a near sleepless night.
He penned: “This time, it is getting to me.
“It’s so particularly vile and personal, and based on utter lies. I feel peculiarly raw and fried – shocked and upset by Caroline’s death, and sickened at being blamed for it”.
Former Love Island presenter Caroline Flack tragically took her life
Fans of the popular star were shocked and sad about her death, and signed a petition in their thousands calling for a law to make it a criminal offence for the press to harass celebrities. Many of them actually blamed the press for her death,
However, the well loved presenter who suffered from depression took her life after she learnt the CPS was going to prosecute her. She could not cope with the huge embarrassment that would follow from press coverage of her court case.