Jacqueline “Jackie O” Henderson has taken ARN Media to the Federal Court seeking at least $82.25 million after the radio network ended her contract earlier this month.
ARN told about the lawsuit on Tuesday. The case was filed against Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation, an ARN subsidiary that holds the licence for KIIS 1065 Sydney.
Henderson says she was unfairly sacked after she sent a formal complaint letter about her long time co-host Kyle Sandilands. In the letter, she said she could no longer work with Sandilands.
She also raised concerns about workplace health and safety and bullying linked to his behaviour on and before 20 February 2026.
This was the day Sandilands mocked her on air during a talk about former prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor’s horoscope, reportedly calling her “off with the fairies”.
Henderson says her complaint was a use of her workplace rights. She argues ARN ended her contract because she made the complaint, which she says broke section 340 of the Fair Work Act.
She also claims a market statement ARN put out on 3 March contained misleading and deceptive statements under Australian Consumer Law.
On top of the $82.25 million, Henderson wants interest, legal costs and a court fine against ARN. The company which is currently worth about $90 million, said it rejects the claims and plans to fight them in court.
The lawsuit adds to a separate case from Sandilands himself. He went to the Federal Court last Friday, arguing his own contract was wrongly ended over claims of serious misconduct, which he denies.
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Together, the two cases could add up to more than $150 million which is far more than the company is worth.
ARN shares fell 3.4% in early trading on Tuesday to 28 cents. The stock has dropped at least 66% since the pair signed their big 10 year deal in November 2023. This contract, worth a reported $200 million, was originally meant to run until December 2034.
Speaking outside court last Friday, Sandilands said he regretted his comments to Henderson but said he had not done anything different to his usual on air behaviour.
The pair had worked together for more than 25 years, making their show one of the best known in Australian radio.
What was once a top rating show has now turned into one of the most costly legal fights the industry has ever seen.
