Jacob Elordi accused of assaulting radio producer after 'Saltburn' prank goes wrong
"Saltburn" star Jacob Elordi is reportedly at the center of an investigation by Australian police for allegedly assaulting a radio producer over the weekend.
Joshua Fox, a digital producer for the Australian breakfast program "The Kyle & Jackie O Show," alleged that on Saturday the actor pinned him against a wall and placed his hands on Fox's throat.
In a Sunday episode of the radio show, Fox said he approached the actor outside a beer garden at the Clovelly Hotel, filming his joke request that the 26-year-old star fill a container with his bathwater. The gag was inspired by a graphic scene from Emerald Fennell's "Saltburn"; after Elordi's character takes a bath, Barry Keoghan's character drinks the leftover bathwater (and body fluids). The scandalous scene also has inspired scented candles and cocktails.
"So I approach him holding the Tupperware in one hand, my phone's out in the other so it's clear I'm recording," Fox explained, adding that the actor requested he stop filming the interaction.
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Fox told his colleagues that the "Priscilla" actor closed in on him ("I could've kissed him, he was that close") and urged him to delete the video. Elordi also allegedly asked Fox to trash the clip from the "recently deleted" files on his phone, but he refused.
"I'm thinking, 'If I delete this footage, there's no evidence that this encounter happened,'" Fox said. "Jacob kind of just flips and pushes me against the wall. ... His hands are on my throat."
Fox said one of the two men accompanying Elordi on Saturday pulled the actor off. The other man, Fox said, followed him and urged him to keep quiet about the incident.
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The alleged assault comes amid a particularly exciting time for Elordi, who made his "Saturday Night Live" hosting debut last month and received critical praise for his performances in "Saltburn" and Sofia Coppola's "Priscilla." The Brisbane-born actor rose to popularity as the controlling and manipulative Nate Jacobs in HBO's "Euphoria."
A representative for Elordi did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment on Monday.
New South Wales Police did not confirm that the actor was involved in the alleged incident but told Variety that it has launched an investigation into the confrontation.
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“Officers attached to Eastern Beaches Police Area Command are investigating after a man was allegedly assaulted outside a hotel in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs,” police said in a statement. "Police were told about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday 3 February 2024, a 32-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by a 26-year-old man. The man did not sustain any injuries. Inquiries into the incident is continuing.”
Fox said Sunday that the alleged assault left him shaken and that he hasn't "slept for two days stressing about this." He also clarified that he did not file a police report and that he has no intention of pressing charges. It's unclear how police learned of the incident, but the morning show's crew mentioned video evidence from the hotel's CCTV.
"I've said my piece now. The story's out there. Let's move on," Fox said. "Jacob, do your own thing. ... Next time someone speaks to you on the street, don't grab them — allegedly."
In an Instagram story shared Sunday, Fox urged his followers to listen to the Sunday episode.
Fox wrote: "Hello, thank you for the kind messages. I won't be discussing or commenting on the Jacob Elordi incident away from what I said on air this morning."
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
