Former footballer ‘assaulted Sugababes star and banned her wearing red lipstick’

A former professional footballer has appeared in court charged with assaulting Sugababes singer Keisha Buchanan, and controlling when she could shower or go to the gym.

Taiwo Leo Atieno, 39, faces eight charges relating to his ex-girlfriend, Ms Buchanan, during an approximately 13-year period.

The former Luton Town and Kenya national team player appeared via video link from HMP Wormwood Scrubs wearing a suit and tie.

He was not asked to enter pleas and Judge Ian Bourne KC granted his release from prison on conditional bail during the Harrow Crown Court case sitting at Southwark on Thursday.

Atieno, from Brixton, south London, is charged with assaulting the founding Sugababes singer between January 1 2012 and January 1 2015 causing her actual bodily harm.

He is also charged with controlling or coercive behaviour against Ms Buchanan between December 29 2015 and May 1 2018.

The charge alleges that he opened Ms Buchanan’s correspondences, would not let her wear red lipstick, and that he controlled her finances and when she could go to the gym or shower.

The charge claims this caused Ms Buchanan “serious alarm or distress which had a substantial adverse effect” on her “usual day-to-day activities”.

He is accused of doing this “at a time when he knew or ought to have known that the behaviour will have a serious effect” on her.

Atieno is also charged with six counts of breaching a non-molestation order, twice by allegedly posting information about Ms Buchanan to a third party online on July 18 and July 20 last year.

He is also accused of breaching the order by emailing Ms Buchanan on August 2, November 19, December 19 and December 23 2024.

His bail conditions include that he must surrender his passport by Monday afternoon.

The judge said: “There must not be any contact either directly or indirectly with the complainant Keisha Buchanan.

“That means any form of contact, whether it be by email or other sort of social media messaging system – any contact at all”.

Julian Malins KC, defending, said his client “fully understands it, and assures the court through us that he will abide by that”.

Atieno was also told not to apply for international travel or to enter the London Borough of Barnet.

He is due to enter pleas on August 22 this year and his trial is set for April 13 2026.

Ms Buchanan was a teenager when she became one of the original members of the Sugababes with Mutya Buena and Siobhan Donaghy in 1998.

Donaghy left in 2001 and was replaced by Heidi Range.

Buena was replaced by Amelle Berrabah in 2005 and Buchanan, the final original member, was replaced by Jade Ewen in 2009.

The founding trio regained the right to use the Sugababes name in 2019 and reunited in 2022 to perform at Glastonbury Festival.