Bombshell twist as sacked news reporter Robert Ovadia sensationally QUITS his lawsuit against Seven bosses – as he reveals why he’s giving up his legal fight to clear his name
Fired news reporter Robert Ovadia has dramatically dropped his lawsuit against Channel Seven, saying the stress on his family has become too much.
The decision to drop his unfair dismissal lawsuit comes after Seven Network opened a ‘dirt file’ alleging multiple women had complained about the TV veteran.
In a statement to Ny Breaking Australia, Ovadia’s lawyer John Laxon said: ‘Robert has indicated that he is withdrawing from legal action for personal reasons.
Although he strongly denies the allegations of serious misconduct against him, his family can no longer bear the emotional and financial toll of the legal action.
“And I completely understand his position.”
According to the original subpoena filed in federal court by Ovadia’s attorney Andrew Gotting and read in court, Ovadia claims the incidents for which he was allegedly fired in June did not constitute sexual harassment.
‘No reasonable employer could have judged that the conduct amounted to sexual harassment, the photo was not conduct of a sexual nature.’
Seven’s ‘reasons’ for firing Ovadia included several cartoon images of a woman with a female employee’s face superimposed over it, plus a photo of a flaccid penis that Ovadia sent to a man following a story about a man called ‘Mr Dick’.
Ovadia this week hit out at Seven Network’s “evil” bosses after his own daughter asked him a heartbreaking question following his sudden sacking.
Fired reporter Robert Ovadia has sensationally dropped his case against Seven Network
Seven’s own lawyer told the federal court last week that “even if they (Seven) had no basis at that time to primarily terminate the employment agreement with the applicant, the conduct that subsequently came to light does provide a basis.”
Seven alleged in federal court last week that “another 13 women” have filed complaints against the former star reporter.
Ovadia responded on social media, posting on Instagram that the damning allegations were propaganda cooked up by âevilâ TV executives.
He said he had received a chilling death threat, and the claim was prompted Ovadia’s teenage daughter to ask her father if people would now think her “father is a rapist.”
On Tuesday, the 51-year-old Ovadia posted a message indicating that he was now preparing for more accusations in the increasingly bitter conflict.
âI expect more smear campaigns in the coming months as this evil company (for which I have risked my life and safety many times) now seeks to further destroy my reputation,â he added.
The death threat, from a man who posts images of weapons on his Instagram page, read: “Hey ringworm. When do you want to be brutally murdered?”
Fired Seven reporter Robert Ovadia has received both a death threat and a heartbreaking question
Robert Ovadia called Seven Network ‘evil’ in his social media post
Ovadia said he has also been inundated with messages of support since Seven filed the new allegations.
The Walkley Award-winning journalist has repeatedly and emphatically denied any misconduct or inappropriate behaviour during his 23-year career at Seven.
He posted a series of the messages he received, adding: ‘Feel free to scroll through some recent interactions with women I’ve worked with versus Seven’s Propaganda Unit.
‘I can be rude, I can be blunt, I can be annoying, my humor is dark – 20 years of being surrounded by trauma and danger does all that to you.
‘But I do NOT abuse women. The Four Corners hatchet job at least got one thing right – the Seven Network is evil.’
Ovadia was fired in June over two image swaps within the Seven editorial staff and filed a lawsuit in federal court for wrongful termination.
His now-withdrawn legal claim against the news and Seven Network and Seven West Media editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie was due to meet again next week to discuss the management of the files.
Since filing last week, Ovadia has posted messages of support that he says he has received.
A former female colleague wrote: ‘All the girls I worked with loved your playfulness… the sassy, ââbig-kid side of you, never knowing what to expect except that (the work) was going to be fun and that was made a lot easier by us all interacting with each other!
‘Without that, there would be long, depressing nights. You’re the furthest thing from a bully or something. This is all so incomprehensible.
“We don’t want you to ever feel like you can’t be yourself because of such ridiculous allegations. It’s incredibly unfair.”
Fired Seven reporter Robert Ovadia has received a death threat and his own teenage daughter has asked a heartbreaking question after his firing
Ovadia’s supporters have come forward since the former veteran reporter filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit against Seven and his boss Anthony de Ceglie (above)
In another comment sent to Ovadia, a male supporter wrote: âI put you in the same category as your former colleague Chris Reason because you are a seasoned professional.
“I, like many others, do not believe the stories that are circulating about you. Keep up the good fight and may you win.”
When Seven fired the veteran Sydney reporter, the network said it would launch an internal investigation into allegations of “inappropriate conduct”.
Ovadia was initially accused of taking doctored photos and a caricature of a woman, “Person A,” and sending them to that person. According to his court filing, this did not amount to sexual harassment.
Two of the images of a cartoon woman representing a colleague are dismissed by the reporter as just one of a series of exchanges between reporters in the Seven newsroom
The death threat was sent to Ovadia by a social media user who posted multiple images of weapons, money and luxury cars on his own Instagram page