Why Boy George Went to Prison and His Life Now

In the early 1980s, pop superstar Boy George, born George O’Dowd, led the chart-topping band Culture Club to great success. He made headlines with his gender-bending outfits and bright makeup looks while songs like "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" (1982) and "Karma Chameleon" (1983) became massive hits around the world. He was a cultural phenomenon at a time when androgyny was considered controversial, and that fame was tough to navigate. He turned to drugs fairly early on in his career.  

Boy George's rumored heroin addiction became public when his brother David O’Dowd spoke out about his worries, and his father set a fire in his home in order to get the pop star to come out of his bedroom. In July 1986, the 25-year-old singer was arrested and charged with drug possession. 

His struggle with drugs and the law continued on and off for the next 20 years. Culture Club initially disbanded in 1986 because of both Boy George's drug problems and a contentious breakup with drummer Jon Moss, leading Boy George to embark on a solo singing project and DJ career.

He was arrested in New York City in 2005 on suspicion of drug possession and making a false robbery report after police found cocaine in his home. He pleaded guilty to false reporting of a burglary at his Manhattan apartment (the drug charges were dropped) and was sentenced to a fine and community service for the false report charge, which he initially failed to complete. 

Boy George's troubles with the law peaked in 2007. 

In January 2007, Boy George met Norwegian model and escort Audun Carlsen on a dating site and invited him over to his London apartment for a nude photo shoot. The first shoot, while cocaine-fueled, was relatively uneventful, but then Boy George invited Carlsen over for a second photo shoot in April. This time, Boy George brought along an unnamed man to attack and restrain Carlsen in his bedroom.

In what he later described as "a psychotic episode," Boy George became convinced that Carlsen had hacked his computer and stolen private photos. He was so sure that he felt he had to handcuff Carlsen in order to keep him at his home while he investigated the alleged hack. 

According to Carlsen, he had been handcuffed to a wall fixture and beaten with a chain for half an hour before managing to escape while naked and bleeding, and it was all punishment for refusing to sleep with Boy George at the previous photo shoot. Boy George's lawyers argued that the photo evidence of his injuries was consistent with the bondage gear he had been wearing, and Boy George has always denied any beating. 

In the midst of the court case, Boy George said he got sober and has been clean since March 2008.

In December 2008, Boy George was found guilty of false imprisonment, and in January 2009, he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. His team had reportedly expected a three-month sentence, so they were shocked at the decision. 

"This offense is so serious that only an immediate sentence of imprisonment can be justified for it," judge David Radford said. 

By May 2009, Boy George was released from prison on good behavior after serving four months of his 15-month sentence. He was required to wear an ankle monitor and adhere to a curfew for the remaining 11 months. 

Boy George wrote about his time in prison in his 2024 memoir Karma: My Autobiography. He said he got a job in the kitchen and befriended some fellow inmates, and he reiterated his claim that there was no beating involved and claimed the story had been greatly exaggerated. 

"I don’t know what I was thinking, I wasn’t in my right mind," he wrote. "It was stupid, aggressive and regrettable but it was less than 30 seconds before he pulled himself free and ran out of the flat and down Ravey Street in his white vest and underwear.”

Boy George also apologized in his book to Carlsen, who he urges to “get on with his life.” "I was wrong and I am sorry but, at some point, I must move on," the singer wrote. 

Carlsen has spoken out about Boy George's continued career success. The singer served as a coach on The Voice UK in season 5 and three seasons of The Voice Australia. Boy George has made countless appearances on TV in the both the U.S. and the U.K., including several guest appearances on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. He competed on season 22 of I'm a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, and Carlsen disapproved—especially of Boy George’s £800,000 payday. 

"It’s hurtful that big organizations like ITV give him that platform," he told The Sun. “I think giving him this sort of platform and a record fee sends the wrong message to survivors of violence and abuse and is plain wrong…I still see the monster that he is every time I see him. He hasn’t changed. I’m not going to watch I’m A Celeb, and I love that show…When it gets scary he can say, 'I’m a celebrity, get me out of here.' I couldn’t do that when I was chained to his wall.”

On the show, fellow contestant Scarlette Douglas asked Boy George about his arrest. He was once again adamant that all he did was handcuff Carlsen and there was no beating involved. 

"If I'd done what I was accused of doing, I don't think I'd be working," he said. "I don't think I'd have come back from it."

Boy George has since reunited with Culture Club members Mikey Craig and Roy Hay, and the band resumed touring around the world. He also competed in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 as a guest performer with San Marino, and earned a lifetime achievement award at the British LGBT Awards in May 2026. The new documentary Boy George & Culture Club tells his story.