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Fat shamed Adele fan has last laugh4:17
A fat shamed Adele fan has the last laugh after a radio interview surprise. Audio: 97.3FM
- March 10th 2017
- 14 days ago
- /video/video.news.com.au/Entertainment/
Adele performing at The Gabba in Brisbane. Picture: Glenn Hunt/Getty Images
A WOMAN who was accused of ‘fat-shaming’ a fellow patron at a Brisbane Adele concert has denied the claim and slammed the venue for not doing its bit to stop the situation escalating.
Anita (whose surname we’ve chosen to withhold) told The Courier-Mail that Leisa Bennett, who said she was abused and assaulted by the person seated next to her at Adele’s Gabba concert on March 5, had been unreasonable and uncompromising.
Ms Bennett, who wrote about her experience in a Facebook post, was later given free flights, tickets and accommodation to see Adele in Melbourne by radio station 97.3fm after a public outcry over the situation.
Adele's Sold Out Brisbane Show, Seen From the Air0:40
Singer Adele packed out Brisbane's Gabba stadium with 60,000 fans, according to __news Corp, causing traffic chaos. This video, taken by Queensland Police Service's PolAir helicopter, shows the stadium from the air. Credit: Queensland Police Service via Storyful
- March 5th 2017
- 19 days ago
- /video/video.news.com.au/Entertainment/
Anita claims she never referred to Ms Bennett’s weight, didn’t elbow her and even tried to compromise with her.
“She’s lied and been rewarded with two flights to Melbourne accommodation and tickets to the show … she’s a very aggressive young girl,” Anita said.
“I did swear at her because I was very frustrated that she couldn’t see or even meet a compromise. At no point did I refer to her size.
“My arm was fairly much wedged into her side and every time I clapped it nudged her. I couldn’t do anything about that.
“She turned around said to me ‘listen here stop nudging me’ and I said ‘I’m not nudging you’.
Anita says this picture shows just how close she and Leisa Bennett were sitting to each other. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied
Then she said “nudge me again and I’ll have you on assault’.”
Anita, who has worked in the airline industry for two decades, said venues must take responsibility for seating issues.
In an analysis of Brisbane major event seating, The Courier-Mail found that The Gabba offered its patrons the skinniest seats at just 41cm wide with a 6.5cm space between each seat.
“It should not have got to the point where, as patrons, we have to resolve it ourselves,” she said.
“We (airlines) don’t let it get to the stage where our passengers have to resolve the problem.
“I really feel that from a venue’s perspective the people on the gates should spot someone who is obviously not going to fit into a seat and nip it in the bud.”
Earlier this month, Ms Bennett said her troubles would have been avoided had Anita accepted her generous offer to swap seats with her sisters, Rebecca and Ellen, who were in a more expensive section closer to the stage at ground level.
She also claimed Anita elbowed her and swore at her before bringing the issue to an attendant who then asked police to intervene.
Anita, a size 14, said there was an offer extended to swap seats but she chose to stay because of eyesight issues.
She also said the incident was traumatic for her 15-year-old daughter who attended the concert with her.
“It wasn’t me impeding on her, it was her coming into my space and I asked her to sit forward so I could wedge in behind her which I thought was a fair compromise,” Anita said.
Leisa Bennett (second from left) with (from left to right) her sisters Rebecca and Ellen, and friend Jamie.Source:Supplied
After that offer was declined, the situation escalated and Anita said she was not going to be made to feel any more uncomfortable on what was already a hot and balmy night with sweat running down their rubbing arms.
“I stood my ground and said ‘I paid the same money for this seat and I’m not getting to use the full capacity of my seat. You are sitting very much in my personal space’,” she said.
“She kept threatening me with assault and at that point I swore twice and one thing I didn’t do was refer to her size and that’s what got me the most about what she said and even my daughter said that never happened.
“I did say ‘my ‘f***king personal space because I paid the same amount for this f***king chair”.
Ms Bennett said Anita should not deflect blame by putting the responsibility back on the Gabba.
“Her behaviour was abusive and the way she physically and abusively assaulted me, she needs to own that behaviour,” she said.
“She did make reference to my weight. I don’t think the Gabba needs to take responsibility for someone’s poor behaviour.”
Ms Bennett refuted Anita’s version that the nudging was merely clapping because it occurred constantly during songs
“That’s such a lie. That’s not true!,” she said.
“She certainly wasn’t clapping through the whole song. She was definitely nudging me.”
Ms Bennett travelled to Melbourne and saw Adele at Etihad Stadium on Sunday without an issue and said there shouldn’t have been one at the Gabba either.
At Etihad Stadium, she sat in an aisle seat in the front row in the mid-level tier.
“It was just perfect and I had an ideal seat,” she said.
“Melbourne people are so much nicer to party with. They are so polite and it was just a really good night.
Gabba Manager Blair Conaghan said anyone patron with seating issues should raise it with an usher.
“The Gabba treats all patrons equitably, but if anyone has an issue with their seat, they are encouraged to contact an usher or approach one of the ticketing windows to enquire if alternative seating can be arranged,” he said.
Originally published as Accused Adele ‘fat-shamer’ hits back
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