Kyle Sandilands arrives at court for legal showdown with ARN Media after $100m radio contract torn up

Kyle Sandilands has arrived at court for a legal showdown with his old radio network after ARN tore up his $100m contract following an ugly on-air argument with co-host Jackie ‘O’ Henderson

On his way into Federal Court in Sydney on Friday morning, he told gathered media that recent weeks had been “traumatic”.

“I’m just happy that we can get in today and get the ball rolling, I just want to get back to work as quick as possible,” Sandilands said.

“I’ve got a family to support.”

Sandilands, 54, filed legal action after his lucrative contract was terminated, arguing his axing was invalid on the basis that there was no act of serious misconduct or breach of contract. He said it was “unconscionable” under Australian Consumer Law.

After a two-week deadline set by ARN to “remedy” an alleged breach had passed, his contract was terminated on March 18.

Sandilands said at the time, “I don’t accept it. My lawyers told them last week this would be invalid. And guess what? It is”.

The long-time relationship between Sandilands and Henderson shattered on February 20 while the pair were live on-air.

Sandilands berated Henderson for what he had claimed was her lax work ethic after she attempted to connect the former prince Andrew’s Jeffrey Epstein dramas with his astrology chart.

On March 3, ARN released an extraordinary statement to the ASX that it had terminated Henderson’s contract and given Sandilands 14 days to “remedy” a breach.

“Let me tell you what actually happened here,” Sandilands said today. “Jackie and I had a blue on air. That’s it. The kind of thing we’ve done a hundred times in 25 years. And ARN took the situation and decided to try and burn the place down.

“They sacked Jackie. They suspended me. They wouldn’t even let me pick up the phone to call her or anyone else on the show.

“Then — and this is the bit that gets me — once they’d made it impossible for the show to go on, they turn around and say, ‘You didn’t fix it. You’re fired’.”

He said he apologised to his long-time co-host the night of their “blow-up” and meant it.

Henderson’s $100m contract was axed by ARN after she told her bosses she could no longer work with Sandilands.

She has not filed any legal proceedings as of the time of publication.

Sandilands’ case is due to be called up in the Federal Court of NSW for the first time on Friday morning for a case management hearing.

The Nightly does not suggest any wrongdoing by Sandilands or ARN.