Radio company ARN has filed a defence in federal court alleging that shock jock Kyle Sandilands repeatedly berated executives, censors, critics and the Melbourne audience of the Kyle and Jackie O Show in expletive-laden rants. The allegations are part of ARN's response to an $85 million claim filed by Sandilands after he was sacked for 'serious misconduct'.
According to the court documents, Sandilands called activist group Mad Fucking Witches (MFW) 'dangerous lunatics' and threatened to have private investigators follow them. He also denigrated in-house censors for using the dump button, telling them 'Don't go bleeping this shit out or you censors will have no job.'
The defence claims Sandilands referred to ARN executives as 'pussies' and said the company had 'no control whatsoever over what we do on this show'. He also attacked management efforts to boost the show's popularity in Melbourne, telling listeners: 'If we don't rate better by the end of this year, I'm pulling the carpet out. I'll just take the show off Melbourne. You can suck my dick.'
The dispute began after an on-air argument between Sandilands and co-host Jackie 'O' Henderson over astrology, which led to Henderson walking off and later launching her own legal action. Henderson claims she should receive at least $82.25 million for wrongful termination of her 10-year contract, alleging she was subjected to 'degrading' comments by Sandilands.
ARN has filed a cross-claim against both Sandilands and Henderson, alleging Sandilands broke his $100 million contract through his behaviour, causing Henderson to refuse to work with him. The company is seeking damages for lost advertising revenue and profits.
The court documents also reveal that Sandilands walked off the show in July 2025 after complaining about the censor and the law of contempt of court, following pressure from the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions over comments he made about murderer Erin Patterson during her trial.
