Kyle Sandilands berated Kiis FM listeners and bosses in expletive-laden rants, court documents claim | Australian media
According to federal court documents, Kyle Sandilands repeatedly berated Kiis FM executives, the radio station’s censors, Kyle and Jackie O Show critics and Melbourne viewers with expletives.
Details of the alleged tirade, published months before the shock athlete was sacked and accused of “serious misconduct” by the ARN, appear in the company’s defense of an $85 million claim brought by Sandilands.
The defense claims Sandilands called activist group Mad Witches (MFW) “dangerous lunatics”, smeared internal censors for using the trash button and referred to ARN executives as “cunts”.
Grassroots activists MFW launched a community campaign targeting Sandilands and were successful in damaging Kiis FM’s advertising revenue.
“I will have [private investigators] According to court documents, he said of MFW: “I think they’re the Woke Mothers, MFW. They’re a bunch of crazy people. They’re actually very threatening.”
He also defamed the show’s Melbourne viewers and attacked management for efforts to boost the show’s popularity in that market, ARN said in federal court papers released on Thursday.
“Here’s something I haven’t talked to Jackie about. If we don’t get a better score by the end of this year, I’m going to pull the rug. I’m going to remove the show from Melbourne. You can suck my dick,” he said.
He said ARN had “no control over what we do on this show” and told the censor: “Don’t bleep this, or you censors will have no use for it.”
“Let me explain once again, the bosses have no control over what we do on this show. Zero. None. Jackie and I…it all starts and ends with what we want to do.”
The dispute began with an on-air argument between Sandilands and co-host Jackie “O” Henderson over her interest in astrology. He left the breakfast show after giving her a dressing, which reduced her to tears. Henderson told ARN he could no longer work with his broadcast partner of 25 years and his contract had been terminated.
Henderson also took legal action, claiming that he should be paid “at least 82 million 250 thousand dollars” in compensation for the unfair termination of his 10-year contract. Henderson claimed he was subjected to “derogatory” comments from Sandilands on air.
According to the defence, during their last on-air appearance together, Sandilands told Henderson: “I’ve been carrying this whole show for a bloody year… I’m left here with a limp tool in my hand.”
The ARN defense said Sandilands told Melbourne listeners who were not listening at the pace management expected: “You can suck my dick.”
“I don’t care [about shareholders]. I got my money. End of caring.”
ARN claims Sandilands has withdrawn from show After filing a complaint against censorship and contempt of court law in July 2025. The radio station was under pressure after Victoria’s prosecution service considered defamation charges over comments it made during the trial of murderer Erin Patterson.
“I’m not going to waste my life coming here while I’m being given this instruction, this instruction, this old law, this old law,” Sandilands said, according to the defence. “I’m not doing that. I’m just not interested in being puppeted by the losers. Right?”
ARN launches cross-claim against former landlords
ARN also filed a cross-claim against both Sandilands and Henderson, alleging that Sandilands breached his $100 million, 10-year contract for conduct that resulted in Henderson refusing to present with his co-host.
“In conclusion [ARN has] The cross-claim filed in federal court stated that he suffered loss or damage in the form of lost advertising revenue or lost profits.
ARN is seeking damages from the duo for breach of their separate $100 million contract and loss of advertising revenue.
In its defence, ARN said it had instructed Sandilands to read, understand and comply with the broadcasting rules after the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Acma) threatened to impose additional license conditions on licensees following repeated breaches of the ethics clause of the commercial radio code of practice.
In March, Acma ruled that any Kiis FM radio show hosted by the duo must not broadcast strong sexual content for the next five years, or ARN Media could face penalties as serious as having the radio station’s license revoked. However, the decision came after the duo was removed from the broadcast.
Henderson’s woes don’t stem from ARN breaches: company
In a separate defense against Henderson’s claims, the broadcaster told the federal court that if Henderson suffered pain, hurt, humiliation or distress at the hands of Sandilands, it was not because of ARN Media’s alleged breach of workplace law.
In ARN’s defense, which was heard by the court on Thursday, Henderson claimed that “Mr Sandilands suffers from a psychological illness that extends to physical symptoms resulting from his bullying behaviour”.
ARN said the media company had “no ability or power” to prevent Sandilands from “bullying or engaging in other undesirable behavior” towards Henderson.
In a letter of complaint, Henderson’s lawyers told ARN he could no longer work with Sandilands because he had been “attacked and bullied on live prime time radio”.
“There is evidence of persistent and relentless bullying from Mr Sandilands long before the incident on 20 February 2026, which the group has failed to adequately address, both legally and ethically, despite numerous opportunities to do so,” the letter said.
But the company argued that Henderson’s $100 million contract meant he had no right to both refuse to host the breakfast radio show with Sandilands and demand that ARN give him another programme. ARN said it was a “contradiction in terms” and that his refusal to work with his on-air partner of 25 years meant the end of his contract.
Judge Angus Stewart will hold a joint case management hearing on Friday morning despite the applicants bringing separate claims against ARN.
The hearing will be broadcast live on the federal court’s YouTube channel.
