Shock jock Kyle Sandilands has launched legal action against his former employer ARN after his multimillion-dollar contract was ripped up following on-air conflict with his co-host Jackie O Henderson.
Court documents were served last Friday in the Federal Court against ARN and the Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation, a subsidiary of ARN.
Sandilands made headlines last week when the news broke that the 54-year-old’s $100m contract had been terminated and he had declared a legal war on the broadcast network.
The move came after an on-air bust-up between Sandilands and his long-time co-host Jackie O last month.
Sandilands claims the termination of his contact was invalid on the basis there was no act of serious misconduct or breach of contract and it was also unconscionable under Australian Consumer Law, according to an ARN statement.
The broadcast network disputes the claims and has indicated it intends to defend the proceedings.
Sandilands confirmed his $100m contract had been terminated in a statement last Wednesday.
“My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is,” he said.
“Let me tell you what actually happened here. Jackie and I had a blue on air. That’s it. The kind of thing we’ve done a hundred times in 25 years.
“They sacked Jackie. They suspended me. They wouldn’t even let me pick up the phone to call her or anyone else on the show.
“Then – and this is the bit that gets me – once they’d made it impossible for the show to go on, they turn around and say, ‘You didn’t fix it. You’re fired!’”
Sandilands said he apologised to his long-time co-host the night of their “blow-up” and meant it.
“But that doesn’t mean I will stand by while I am separated from the people who’ve listened to me every morning for 25 years,” he said.
The on-air argument with Jackie O resulted in her leaving the show mid-recording and she failed to appear on air for more than a week.
While riffing mid-show, Sandilands criticised Henderson’s work ethic, accusing her of being “unfocused and “off with the fairies”.
Henderson, visibly upset by the criticisms, told Sandilands that she would “never say things like that” about him and his comments had been “a total attack”.
Sandilands doubled down on the comments, telling Henderson “it’s not an attack, it’s an actual fact babe, I’m sorry”.
Sandilands was given a 14-day deadline by KIIS parent company ARN to “remedy” the feud.
Henderson’s $100m contract was terminated by ARN after she told her bosses she could no longer work with Sandilands.
Reports have since emerged that she is also considering legal action against her former employer for wrongful termination.
More to come
