ABC Presenter Abbey Gelmi Reveals Prolonged Stalking and Harassment Nightmare
ABC sports presenter Abbey Gelmi has courageously detailed a prolonged and deeply distressing stalking and sexual harassment ordeal that commenced while she was caring for her newborn son. The harrowing experience, which involved explicit digital content and persistent unwanted contact, has culminated in the offender being sentenced to jail following a thorough police investigation.
Podcast Revelation of a Traumatic Experience
Gelmi made the stunning and emotional revelation during an episode of her podcast, Two Good Sports, which she co-hosts with fellow presenter Georgie Tunny. Broadcast on Friday, the episode captured Gelmi visibly upset and shaken as she recounted the traumatic events. Tunny provided unwavering support, reassuring her colleague that speaking out was unequivocally the right thing to do.
The Onset of the Harassment Campaign
The disturbing incident began last year when Gelmi received an unsolicited late-night video call from an unknown number while she was breastfeeding her two-month-old son. The contact rapidly escalated into a barrage of repeated calls and messages, including the direct transmission of sexually explicit videos to her personal phone.
"I immediately went cold," Gelmi recounted. "I remember feeling, not shame, but going 'what have I done to have this happen to me'."
Persistent Contact Despite Attempts to Stop It
Gelmi described how the explicit messages continued in quick succession for over a month, despite her repeated attempts to block the sender's number. The communications included invasive messages such as, "Hey baby, hey honey, I thought you might want to see this," accompanied by graphic video content.
Initially, Gelmi did not report the behaviour due to a common misconception. "I thought you could only be harassed or stalked if a person has been in your presence or home … that's not the case," she explained, highlighting a critical gap in public understanding of digital harassment laws.
Escalation and Police Involvement
The situation reached a critical point when Gelmi received another alarming call while she was alone in a supermarket. This final incident prompted her to finally contact the police, initiating a formal investigation. Authorities discovered that the perpetrator, a Victorian man, had also targeted multiple other women working in sports media, identifying several victims during the course of the case.
"So this time last year was the beginning of an ongoing case of sexual harassment, essentially against myself," Gelmi stated. "I wasn't the only person that they were doing it to."
A Broader Pattern of Inappropriate Behaviour
Gelmi revealed that receiving sexually explicit content from men has been an unfortunate and recurring aspect of her career in sports broadcasting. "I've been receiving sexually explicit content from men as part of being in my job," she disclosed, noting that such behaviour was often "sort of laughed about in the office," normalising a toxic environment.
She admitted to delaying police involvement for approximately six weeks, a decision she now reflects upon. "I let that go on for a month and a half before I saw police help," she said.
Solidarity and a Call for Change
Co-host Georgie Tunny expressed solidarity, sharing that she too has been subjected to similar behaviour during her media career. "As a woman working in media, and then a woman working in sports media, I think there are all of these layers," Tunny remarked. "So when this shit is happening, as someone who has been on the other end, and thinking it's not a big deal, it is a big deal."
Gelmi, who lives in Melbourne with her partner, former AFL player Kane Lambert, and their children, decided to speak publicly about the case only after the offender was imprisoned. Her powerful testimony underscores the severe psychological impact of sustained, targeted online harassment and shines a necessary light on the serious issue of stalking and harassment within media workplaces.
