This writer has requested to remain anonymous.
When Kyle Sandilands rocked up to court in a Rolls-Royce last week, it spoke volumes about what his co-host, Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, has allegedly been enduring behind the scenes.
It was an act of arrogance and defiance in the face of a very high-stakes personal situation – being counter-sued by ARN for millions. The moment was a jarring insight into the ‘real Kyle’, not just his shock jock persona.
In her own case against ARN, Henderson has alleged that Sandilands engaged in extensive workplace bullying towards her.
Watching Sandilands step out of his glamorous vehicle was a moment that highlighted the full extent of Henderson not ever really calling him out publicly until now, of not screaming his name from rooftops as her alleged workplace bully.
In her statement of claim, Henderson says ARN Media failed to act on her repeated complaints before the fatal fallout, about Sandilands’ on-air behaviour, as part of Federal Court proceedings seeking more than $82 million in compensation.
Henderson also alleges she raised concerns with senior executives months before the February 20 incident that ended the pair’s long-running partnership, warning the on-air dynamic was being perceived as an “abusive relationship” and detailing a series of incidents across August and September 2025.
My heart breaks for what Henderson must have been enduring at work. What happened to Henderson is horrifying. And for me, and so many others, it’s triggering.
Kyle and Jackie O during the moment that saw Jackie walk in February 2026. Source: Instagram
Jackie O is one of many women who’s suffered at work until she broke
I don’t need to imagine Henderson has gone through; I know first-hand. In a job I once had, I suffered cruel taunts, snide remarks, and false accusations from managers and team ‘mates’, as I sat at my desk in the office with them.
I was regularly told off rather than spoken to constructively, and even though I had worked in the industry for years and should have earned some respect and been trusted to make decisions, as my job allowed, I was gaslit and scapegoated weekly.
It was face-to-face, in email, and in ‘private’ meetings. I say ‘private’ because others would later make references to the content of the meetings, people who weren’t even on the team. They had been told about what happened. I had been discussed. Gleefully.
I tried to explain my experience to the two managers I had at the time, who, of course, turned out to be the main bullies because they allowed the behaviour to continue.
In fact, I worked out that one of them started it. When I tried to defend myself against accusations, I was called “defensive.” That was the only conclusion – I was “defensive” when attacked. Not that anyone else needed to accept responsibility for their contribution to – nay, encouragement of – the situation.
I took the matter further to their superiors, who wanted to take action. But I stopped them, and thus stopped short of HR, who would only care about the company’s liability.
I did this mainly because I was scared of one of them. I’d never encountered such a person.
But why did I stay for so long? I loved my job – genuinely loved it. And ultimately, like most other people, I needed to work for financial reasons – and in so many other ways, it was a great job.
That’s what you tell yourself at the time.
Jackie O’ stayed for the same reason many of us stay
Now knowing that Henderson had similarly tried to get others to change the structure and dynamics of her working relationship with Sandilands, my heart breaks for her that she was experiencing something similar.
It’s something many sources say they have endured in the name of career and a reliable salary.
Until they’re utterly destroyed, that is.