Ben Freeman

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Ben Freeman (born April 8, 1980) is an English television actor, best known for his part in ITV's Emmerdale as Scott Windsor.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Personal life 2.1 Rape allegations 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Biography

The eldest of five siblings (three younger sisters and a younger brother), living in Slough, Berkshire, Freeman went to St. Bernard's Convent School (now St. Bernard's Catholic Grammar School). While at school Freeman took a part-time acting course over a school half-term holiday and was spotted by an agent, who signed him up. Freeman's first role was playing Chris Longworth in children's school soap Grange Hill.

After leaving Grange Hill, when Emmerdale decided to recast the character of Scott Windsor from incumbent Toby Cockerell in 1998, Freeman won the role of the womanising car mechanic Scott.

[edit] Personal life

Freeman has had a tabloid reported personal life. He dated Emmerdale co-star Amy Nuttall until she broke off their relationship with him in 2004 for cheating on her.

He then dated model Cassie Sumner, who was later reported to be a £3,000-a-night vice girl who had dated Chelsea F.C. footballer Michael Essien.^[1] In 2005 girlfriend Montana Manning, 17, of girl band Cookie broke off their relationship after Freeman cheated on her with a fan.

[edit] Rape allegations

On 3 December 2006, the British Foreign Office confirmed that Freeman has been charged with raping a British 16 year old woman while on holiday on the Caribbean island of Barbados.^[2] Freeman, his stepfather and other members of his family had been staying at the Almond Beach Village resort, where the girl was also staying.^[3]

The alleged incident took place on the night of Wednesday 29 November, at a pool-side sun lounger at the resort that both parties were staying at. Freeman left the Almond Beach Village the next day, while the 16-year-old girl stayed on until she and her family returned to the UK on Sunday 3 December.

Freeman was initially ordered to stay on the island until the case was over, had his passport confiscated and was released to his lawyer on payment of $20,000 Barbadian dollars (£5,000) bail. In a subsequent hearing on the 6 December, his passport was returned by the judge and he was free to leave the country, subject to agreeing to return for the formal hearing on the 15 March 2007 and payment of bail at $100,000 Barbados dollars (£26,000).^[4]

In mid March Freeman appeared in court to deny raping a schoolgirl in Barbados. He admits they had sex but says she consented.^[5]

In December 2007, an ITV spokesperson confirmed that Freeman would not be renewing his contract for practical reasons, as it expired at the end of 2007. The ITV spokesperson said: “Due to the uncertainty of the process of law and the lead times in writing a character in and out of a soap we cannot be sure of Ben’s availability for work, so we cannot renew his contract at this stage." According to the website, Freeman would like to talk to ITV about a contract renewal, after this situation is over.^[6]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Ben Freeman at the Internet Movie Database
• 2003 interview re Emmerdale
• The Sun report on rape allegation includes eye witness pictures of both parties