The Ben Cousins show at the George Hotel in Ballarat has been cancelled in the wake of a Brolga story highlighting community outrage about the booking.
However the agent who represents Cousins, a disgraced former AFL star, told the Brolga on Wednesday afternoon he was scrambling to find an alternate venue.
Cousins is currently touring a live show RAW: Ben Cousins - Live Like Never Before. He was scheduled to speak at the George Hotel tonight (Wednesday September 16).
The show is advertised as Cousins opening up “like never before - sharing about life behind bars, exile from the AFL community, the turning point, and the unfolding journey to redemption”.
On Tuesday the Brolga reported on a backlash to Cousins - who has served jail time for aggravated stalking and multiple breaches of a restraining order - being paid to appear in Ballarat.
Why does it matter? In the past 10 years, Cousins has been convicted of several offences, including stalking. He was imprisoned in 2017 and 2020, with a magistrate in 2017 saying he had subjected a former partner to “nine months of terror”.
Reaction: Acting Women’s Health Grampians CEO Kate Diamond-Keith told the Brolga Cousins speaking in Ballarat would send the message that the community “is accepting of a perpetrator and of them being elevated”.
“We really need to think about the importance of accountability, and what our community considers acceptable”, she said. “I think we need to be a community where respect and accountability are valued, and most importantly demonstrated. And Ben Cousins coming to Ballarat and speaking at this event is not demonstrating that.”
The Brolga sought comment from the George Hotel on Tuesday. It did not respond. However on Wednesday it issued a statement on its social media.
“The George Hotel has heard the anger, disappointment, and hurt expressed following our decision to choose Ben Cousins as a guest speaker,” it said.
“We recognise that decisions about who is given a public platform carry a particular significance for women, victim-survivors, and others affected by domestic violence. We understand why members of our community have questioned what this event represents and whether their experiences and concerns were adequately considered.
“They were not considered carefully enough, and we are sorry.”
The venue said its “decision-making process did not give sufficient consideration to the event’s broader community impact or to the responsibility that comes with providing a public platform.
“We have since begun reviewing how prospective speakers, performers, booking agents, and other partners are assessed.”
The statement, which suggested staff had faced “threats, personal abuse, and harassment” over the booking of Cousins, did not make clear whether the show had actually been cancelled, and tickets remained on sale after the statement was released.
A staff member told the Brolga on Wednesday afternoon the show had officially been canned.
Header Image: Tourism Midwest Victoria and Ben Cousins social media