Former glamour model Jodie Marsh has stated that online critics targeting her animal sanctuary have made her life "hell," damaging her mental health. She claims the animosity, including allegations of poor animal welfare, is due to prejudice against her personally.
Marsh recently won a legal battle against Uttlesford District Council, which had refused her a wild animal license for eight ring-tailed lemurs at her Fripps Farm rescue center. A judge overruled the council, stating it ignored evidence proving Marsh was a suitable keeper.
The local authority spent over £34,000 on the case, including costs ordered to be paid to Marsh, which she called "disgusting." She alleges that since the ruling, trolls are using AI to create fake videos of her animals looking unwell.
Marsh revealed the impact of being "vilified" online and in person has made her suicidal, leading her to seek medical help and be prescribed antidepressants. She claims the council's planning committee had an agenda against her, partly due to her having "the biggest house in the village."
Opposition has also focused on her past behavior, such as taking a meerkat to a pub. Marsh asserts her life's dream was always to run an animal sanctuary, and she entered showbiz solely to fund it, stating she is now "just an animal rescuer."