Australian Special Forces Veteran Turned Only Fans Model Heston Russell Sues ABC For Defamation

starobserver.com.au:

Australian Special Forces veteran, founder of the Australian Values Party, and OnlyFans model Heston Russell is suing the ABC for defamation.According to Russell’s lawsuit, the November article made defamatory claims including that Russell “was reasonably suspected by the Department of Defence of committing a crime or crimes when he was a commando in Afghanistan,” and that Russell “was involved in callously killing an Afghan prisoner in Helmand province in mid-2012 because the prisoner would not fit on a US aircraft.”The lawsuit goes on to state that “Russell has been gravely injured in his character, his personal reputation, and his professional reputation as a former member of the armed forces, and has suffered and will continue to suffer substantial hurt, distress and embarrassment.”He continued, “I will not be making any further comment now that the matter is before the Court.”According to the Daily Telegraph, Russell is being represented by defamation lawyers Sue Chrysanthou SC and Rebekah Giles.

In the past, the pair have represented Christian Porter, Geoffrey Rush, John Barilaro and Andrew Laming.He is suing for damages, aggravated damages, legal costs, and for the ABC articles to be removed.

The ABC, in a statement, said it “will defend its journalism on this important issue of public interest.”On August 12, Russell pleaded not guilty to assaulting a man at a private party in Sydney on January 2022.In December 2021, Russell made headlines when it was revealed that he raised approximately $15,000 in the name of a veterans’ mental health charity by selling nudes of himself via OnlyFans.© Star Observer 2022 | For the latest in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, be.