Annastacia Palaszczuk has cancelled multiple public appearances at the eleventh hour due to unforeseen circumstances following rape charges being laid against her long-time surgeon partner. The former Queensland premier was at an author talk promoting her new memoir, The Politics of Being Me, as detectives raided Dr Reza Adib's luxury Gold Coast apartment on the afternoon of April 30.
The next day, Adib, 65, was charged with three counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, and two counts of deprivation of liberty after police alleged he attacked a woman in her 30s at his Burleigh Heads residence on March 30. Palaszczuk is not implicated or involved in the charges, and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing.
Despite cancelling several weekend appearances, her publicist Max Markson on Sunday said upcoming talks on her book tour would go ahead as planned. However, a free author talk scheduled in Maryborough on Thursday organised by Fraser Coast Libraries has been postponed. Keep an eye on the website for future updates, the website states. A second event at the Australian National University in Canberra next week was also axed on Tuesday.
We regret to inform you that Meet the Author – Annastacia Palaszczuk has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances, an email from ANU Events stated. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. We hope to see you again at our next event. Mr Markson confirmed the change of plans. We will be postponing media interviews and some events that were locked in to talk about Annastacia Palaszczuk's book The Politics of Being Me until an appropriate time in the future, he told the Daily Mail on Wednesday.
Detectives raided Adib's apartment on Thursday, seizing several items under a crime scene warrant following what police described as extensive investigations. Adib later went to Southport police station on Friday, accompanied by his lawyer. Law firm Robertson O'Gorman said their client was shocked by the allegations and was taking the matter very seriously in a statement last week. Like all persons accused of a crime, he is presumed to be innocent and intends to vigorously defend the charges, lawyer Dan Rogers said. Right now, Dr Adib is primarily concerned about the welfare of his family and his patients, and he will do whatever it takes to ensure that they are looked after in the coming weeks.
Adib, who specialises in laparoscopic procedures, is said to have performed more than 20,000 operations. He and Palaszczuk went public with their relationship in 2021. The former premier fronted a Gold Coast event on Thursday as news of the investigation broke and told an audience member she knew nothing about the matter and was unable to comment. She signed her memoir and posed for photos with fans but refused to comment when approached by the media while leaving the event. Adib was granted bail and is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on May 14.
