If you ask Boy George if he really wanted to hurt him, the answer’s an emphatic no. The “Karma Chameleon” purveyor pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge of false imprisonment for allegedly chaining a male escort to a wall and threatening him at the former’s east London home last April.
George, 46, whose real name is George O’Dowd, turned up at Snaresbrook Crown Court dressed in black and sporting shades.
The ’80s icon was mostly mum during the 20-minute hearing except to enter his plea and confirm the conditions of his bail. He subsequently left without speaking to reporters.
A judge set a trial date in the case for Nov. 24.
George got into this latest scrape with the law after the model turned escort, Audun Carlsen, filed a complaint with police indicating he was held against his will and then inappropriately grabbed by the former Culture Club singer and another man after turning up for a photo shoot at George’s apartment.
Things could have been worse for George, however. The crooner turned deejay was initially arrested in May on an additional count of assault, but prosecutors decided there wasn’t enough to proceed with that charge.
The Norwegian-born Carlsen later gave an interview to Britain’s Sun tabloid in which he said that he first met George through a U.K. personals website called Gaydar. He then claimed that he was invited by the musician to his home at midnight to do some modeling work and was offered 400 pounds.
After posing for several erotic pictures for the entertainer, the model said George and another unidentified man then handcuffed him to a hook in a wall and busted out a box of whips and S&M sex toys. They kept him tied up there until Carlsen said he was able to wiggle free by pulling the hook out of the wall. He then fled the residence and called police to report the encounter.
George’s last run-in with authorities came in New York in March 2006, when he pleaded guilty to falsely reporting a burglary at his Manhattan pad. Officers who arrived on the scene found a stash of cocaine in the apartment.
He ended up receiving five days of community service in the form of trash duty and paid a $1,000 fine.
