Abbie Chatfield, the former star of *The Bachelor* and a prominent social media influencer, has acknowledged defaming her ex-friend, Heath Kelley. The admission follows accusations that she falsely claimed he supported genocide and child slaughter. In a ruling made by consent in the Federal Court, Chatfield has agreed to pay Kelley damages amounting to $79,000.
The court also ordered her to cover Kelley’s legal expenses, estimated at $30,000, bringing her total financial liability to over $100,000. Chatfield did not contest the claim, which was presided over by Justice Wendy Abraham.
The controversy began on May 7, 2025, when Chatfield published the defamatory remarks about Kelley on her Instagram Stories around 17:30. Earlier that day, she had expressed support for Greens leader Adam Bandt, who had lost his Melbourne seat to Labor’s Sarah Witty in the federal election. Following this, Kelley sent her a private message with a video and comments regarding Bandt.
Chatfield later shared parts of their private conversation on her social media, where she confronted him about his opinions, questioning whether he was “pro Israel.” Kelley replied, stating that his support for Israel aligned with his advocacy for gay and women’s rights. He expressed relief that Bandt’s defeat would make the Jewish community in Melbourne feel safer.
In her Instagram Stories, Chatfield directly addressed Kelley, stating, “Heath Kelley supports genocide if you want to reconsider your friendships.” The posts remained visible on her account until at least 13:15 on May 8.
Kelley’s statement of claim highlighted that Chatfield’s public comments were likely to cause significant harm to his reputation, given her large following of approximately 550,000 on Instagram. The pair shared between 130 and 150 mutual contacts on the platform, meaning a vast portion of Kelley’s social network likely viewed the damaging remarks.
Additionally, Kelley alleged that Chatfield breached his confidence by releasing their private exchanges to the public. The former friends had previously attracted media attention in 2019 for a video where they appeared to be enjoying a close friendship, with Chatfield describing Kelley as “my best friend of ten years” at the time.
This recent legal outcome serves as a reminder of the potential consequences of online statements, particularly in the context of public figures and their influence on social media. PerthNow has reached out to Abbie Chatfield for further comment.
