Australian rockstar Daniel Johns is suing a major tabloid newspaper for suggesting he visits a Sydney brothel known for hardcore sexual acts.
Key points:
- Australian musician and songwriter Daniel Johns is suing Sydney tabloid The Sunday Telegraph for defamation
- The former Silverchair singer claims an article published last month painted him as a "sexual pervert" and was "untrue"
- The article claimed he frequented a bondage brothel specialising in "brown showers" and "adult babies"
The article, published on August 11 in Sydney's The Sunday Telegraph and associated websites, claimed the former Silverchair frontman was a regular at the brothel specialising in BDSM (bondage, discipline, submission and sadomasochism), "brown showers" and "adult babies".
In a statement today, Mr Johns said the article "was simply untrue" and humiliating for him and his family and that he had filed for defamation against the paper's owner Nationwide News, its editor and the article's reporter.
In his statement, Mr Johns said he had never been to the establishment called The Kastle.
"I simply was not, and have never been there," he said.
"In fact, I never even knew of its existence."
A writ filed to the Supreme Court of Victoria said the article painted the rockstar as a "sexual pervert", and that his career was suffering as a result.
The newspaper has declined to comment on the legal proceedings.
'Reputation irreparably harmed'
The newspaper also reported Mr Johns had gone to the establishment so often that "patrons and staff" were "fed up" with him.
The defamation suit claimed Mr Johns "has and will continue to suffer economic loss" due to the article.
"The plaintiff's ability to work has been significantly impaired due to the stress and anxiety that the articles have caused him," it stated.
"The plaintiff's reputation has been irreparably harmed such that he is likely to be shunned by persons within the music industry, and members of the public, and his ability to earn income has thereby been irreparably harmed."
It claimed the newspaper was "reckless" in its reporting and it did not contact Mr Johns for comment before the article was published.
The suit follows a successful defamation proceeding this year by Oscar-winner Geoffrey Rush against the same publisher, Nationwide News, for alleging he behaved inappropriately towards his colleague, Eryn Jean Norvill.
His $2.9 million in damages was the highest defamation payout awarded in Australia to a single person.
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