Fans were left confused after comedian Meshel Laurie shared a post in which she praised shock jock Kyle Sandilands while also condemning “every news outlet in the country”.
The former The Project regular took to social media on October 18, calling out the media for “running a very distressing story” that was first covered by The Kyle and Jackie O Show several years ago.
“Say what you like about Sandilands, but every news outlet in the country is running a very distressing story today, using photos lifted from Kyle and Jack’s [Jackie O Henderson] socials 3 years ago [sic],” she penned.
“That’s when they interviewed the woman involved. That’s when she chose to tell them her story because she trusted them, and they handled it beautifully because they are pros.”
**CONTENT WARNING: The following discusses the death of an infant and may be distressing to some readers.
The 49-year-old said that “everyone” is utilising “every personal detail they can glean” from a recent coroner’s report detailing the cause of a NSW infant’s death.
“Everyone is using her photos, her name, the names of her extended family and every other personal detail they can glean from the coroner’s report into the death of her baby… Even though they know she doesn’t want to participate,” Meshel wrote.
“It’s an absolute disgrace.”
Acknowledging that “the story needs to be told”, the comedian said the family’s details are irrelevant.
“It doesn’t need to retraumatise [sic] them,” she digressed. “So, tell me again how ‘outrageous’ and ‘distasteful’ Kyle and Jackie O are.”
Followers Hit Out at Meshel Laurie for Defending Kyle Sandilands
Meshel was seemingly referring to the family of a three-week-old boy who suffocated in a fabric sling in 2019.
However, with little to no context, the Hughesy, We Have a Problem guest star’s followers were more concerned that she was defending Kyle, who is known for his increasingly controversial comments.
“Don’t know if Kyle can be exonerated for abhorrent behaviour simply by comparing him to the rest of the media… seems… redundant,” one fan commented on Facebook.
Another penned: “One story handled well does not mean they are not outrageous and distasteful.”
Meanwhile, several others voiced their confusion and asked Meshel to elaborate on the issue.
“Meshel, could you please elaborate/explain this,” a fan wrote. “I don’t get it at all. I see from previous comments that I’m not the only one.”
One person simply expressed: “Huh?”
The mother of two then took to the comment section of her post to clarify “two things”.
The first was that her post “is about the hypocrisy of our media, not about sainting Kyle”.
She then said it is not her fault if people “don’t know about a story that was a major headline on every news website”.
In a subsequent comment, Meshel said she “won’t be elaborating” on the head-scratching post.
“It was in the news, and I guess it’s not anymore. I guess that’s also significant,” she wrote. “Was it worth it? Beyond hideous for the family and now gone. Clicks have dried up, so the story has been replaced with someone else’s tragedy. Shameful.”
Meshel Laurie Calls Out Female Fans for “Hundred of Critical Comments” on Her Original Post
Taking to social media again several hours later, Meshel raised her concern for the women commenting on her post about Kyle instead of the media’s impact on the family in question.
“Ok ladies, I hear you,” Meshel penned. “You’re more distressed by the mention of Sandilands than you are by another woman actually being traumatised in real time.
“Literally hundreds of critical comments [on Facebook] from women about my ‘exonerating Kyle’. (I didn’t).”
She went on to say that “not one of those women mentioned the woman [her] post was actually about”, adding that she won’t be “engaging” with her fans “on this topic anymore”.
“I’ll be catching up on The Handmaid’s [Tale]. It’s less depressing,” Meshel concluded.
The decisive post didn’t halt followers from voicing their opinions once more, however.
“I just don’t think that mentioning Kyle was the compelling argument you thought it was. He is such a controversial figure who has created such extreme situations,” one fan reasoned.
“I didn’t feel you were exonerating him. But I also don’t understand why you were defending him. There were many other ways you could have made the point of not exploiting a woman suffering from a loss without complimenting him.”
So Dramatic! has reached out to Meshel for comment.
If you or anyone you know is struggling following a miscarriage or loss of a child and needs support, call SANDS on 1300 308 307 or Lifeline on 13 11 14, both of which provide trained counsellors you can talk with 24/7. You can also speak with someone confidentially at Headspace by calling 1800 650 890 or chat online here. If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
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