Former AFL player files lawsuit against Fox Sports and the league over intimate footage aired on TV
Former Australian Football League (AFL) player Ricky Henderson has filed a lawsuit against the AFL and Fox Sports in the South Australian District Court. He is seeking $1,213,867 in damages over the broadcast of intimate footage featuring him during a live television broadcast in 2013, according to ABC News Australia.
The incident occurred on April 6, 2013, during a second-round match of the season at The Gabba. Henderson, who is now 37, was playing for the Adelaide Football Club at the time. The complaint alleges that during halftime, he stepped away from a group of players to adjust his shorts and underwear, exposing his genitals. These images were shown live.
Henderson claims that the unauthorized use of the video constituted a violation of privacy, an invasion of his private life, and negligence. He alleges that the broadcast caused him severe distress and emotional pain, as well as mental illness. The case files also state that he attributes the incident to an acute stress disorder, which subsequently developed into chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal, and loss of ability to work.
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Fox Sports issued a denial, stating that the video was not filmed in the locker room but in the so-called “kicking room”—an open warm-up area where players, coaches, medical staff, media representatives, and other people were present. The company noted that fixed cameras in such areas at AFL arenas had been in operation for several years, and Henderson was playing his 44th career game at the time and should have been aware of their presence.
Fox Sports acknowledged that the athlete’s genitals were shown but denied the claim that he had stepped away from the team to adjust his clothing. The company claims that he did so in the middle of the warm-up area, in full view of other players and club staff, and in front of the camera. Fox Sports also stated that it was not broadcasting the event but was operating the camera and selecting camera angles for the feed provided to Foxtel for the live broadcast.
The AFL also denied Henderson’s claim for compensation. The league stated that the warm-up area was not a locker room, and that the player knew or should have known about the video feed from the cameras installed there. The AFL denied any breach of its duty of care toward the player, as well as the alleged injuries, loss of earning capacity, and economic losses. The case will be heard in court later this month.
