Walsh: 'Nothing worth what I went through' after assault accusation
Louis Walsh says he has "changed forever" after being falsely accused of sexual assault.
The 'X Factor' judge - who has been cleared of accusations that he indecently assaulted a 24-year-old father in the toilets of a Dublin nightclub in April - admits the past few weeks have taken their toll on him and he has been "physically ill" because of it.
He told the Sunday Mirror newspaper: "I've changed forever. This has made me physically ill. I can't eat, I can't sleep. I've lost so much weight that my suits don't even fit me anymore.
"This is the first time I've talked about it like this. I can't even get a proper night's sleep, so I'm exhausted.
"When I drift off I suddenly wake up in a blind panic. The panic attacks are awful. I have to calm myself down and say, 'It's over, I'm going to be OK.' "
Even though Leonard Watters has admitted to making the story up and giving a false statement to police, Walsh, 58, is still struggling to come to terms with it and even thought about giving up his showbiz career.
He said: "There's always the thought people could still believe it," he says. "And that has ripped me apart. I'm totally in shock and luckily it's going to have the right outcome. I was totally shafted.
"I thought 'I just want to get out of this business, I want my life back.' Nothing, nothing, nothing is worth what I went through. No job, no money, nothing."
