Billionaire Adrian Portelli has denied claims he incited his 460,000 followers to ‘bully’ Herald Sun journalist Fiona Byrne this past weekend, claiming it was simply “a taste of [her] own medicine”.
On Saturday, the journalist’s social media was reportedly flooded with online threats and abuse after she was among the first to report Today Show host Alex Cullen had been stood down over allegedly accepting a $50,000 cash prize from Portelli to rebrand him from “Lambo Guy” to “McLaren Man” on national TV.
In an Instagram Story, the Melbourne rich lister — most famous for his cash and property giveaways and big purchases on The Block — called out Byrne’s article, particularly the continued use of “Lambo Guy” in her headline.
Journalist Alex Cullen (left) has been stood down by Nine pending investigation. (Image source: Don Arnold / Getty Images)
As reported by 7News, Portelli reportedly urged Byrne to “be respectful and use [his] real name” or he would “come up with a nickname” and “blast it all over [his] socials”.
Portelli is alleged to have then encouraged his significant Instagram following to think up nicknames, with a $5,000 prize for the “winner”.
“If journos wanna bully, let’s bully back,” 7News quoted him as saying.
According to Byrne, what followed was over 24 hours where her Instagram was “bombarded by thousands of vile, demeaning, offensive, misleading, insulting, factually incorrect and just plain stupid and ridiculous comments”.
In a Herald Sun piece on Monday, she noted the “toxic flood saw me called – among many things – a slut, a c–t, a bitch, a dog, a ‘presstitute’, an ogre, a pig, a fat bulldog and a “fucken (sic) muppet”.
“McLaren Man” with his McLaren Senna GTR. (Source: Instagram)
“Negative comments were made about my weight, my body parts and my appearance.
“I was told to go and jump off a bridge (kill myself), described as a bitch that needed “a good left-right” (punch), threatened with a turkey slap (hit in the face with a penis), and other personal threats.”
She pointed out the harassment arose from a “billionaire having a tantrum over a nickname” and described Portelli’s response as “extreme”.
However, addressing Byrne’s claims, Portelli said it is simply a “taste of your own medicine”.
In his own Instagram post, the billionaire said he was among those to have been “harrassed” by the journalist over the years.
“The countless messages I’ve received from people who have been harassed by Fiona over the years, myself included, clearly highlight the level of journalism she resorts to in order to make a living – often at the expense of others’ reputations,” he wrote.
“More people need to take a stand against media professionals behaving unethically.”
He doubled down that there was “no bullying here”, rather he was making a point “that it’s not nice to refer to someone as a nickname they’ve told you not to use politely”.
Portelli addressed Byrne’s claims with his own post. (Source: Instagram)
Portelli also took aim at Byrne’s employer, stating the Herald Sun should be “ashamed to employ a journalist who operates at a Daily Mail standard”.
Speaking to PEDESTRIAN.TV, Portelli explained he was raised with the belief “that you should treat people the way they would like to be treated.”
“I have all the time in the world for good people in need of help, but if someone harasses me and bullies me continuously, I will stand up for myself, and I encourage everyone to do the same. Don’t let others walk all over you, and always be kind to one another. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
“As for Fiona, I have repeatedly asked her and the Herald Sun to be respectful and stop using the ‘Lambo Guy’ nickname in exchange for my willingness to chat with them. However, they have continued to use this name, which is what has triggered this reaction.”
The billionaire continued that the publication’s persistent references to him as ‘Lambo Guy’ “amounts to a sustained campaign of harassment and indicates that the Herald Sun is motivated by malice rather than by giving any genuine journalistic purpose.”
Portelli’s Instagram post addressing the situation was met with support, with influencers, podcasters, and actors backing the billionaire’s stand against the publication.
Australian former professional basketball player Andrew Bogut alleged Byrne had printed his address in the newspaper, commenting she is “everything that’s wrong with Aussie media”.
Influencer AJ Papadatos commented: “Don’t throw stones if you live in a glass house Fiona”.
It’s certainly getting messy.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to Byrne for a statement.
Lead image source: The Herald Sun, Sam Tabone / Getty Images
The post Adrian Portelli Rejects Accusations Of Inciting Bullying Of Journalist appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
