This Has Been A Gary Reilly Production For Spatula City
The Herald Sun are running a piece about Sarah Monahan and some god-awful fucking television program that she supposedly once appeared on:
Hey Dad! star claims ‘I was abused on set’
THE youngest cast member of Australian TV comedy hit Hey Dad! says she was sexually abused on the set of the top-rating program.
Sarah Monahan, who played schoolgirl Jenny Kelly, was nine years old when she began work on the series, which aired on Channel Seven from 1987 to 1994.
She told Woman’s Day magazine that a male who worked on the show fondled her and exposed himself to her.
She did not name the man, nor did she say if he was a member of the cast or the crew.
…
Chris Truswell, who played family friend Gerald “Nudge” Noritis, said he was surprised by the allegations and feared people would think he was the alleged assailant.
…
Monahan now lives in the US making TV programs with her husband.
I’m calling bullshit on this one. Complete fucking bullshit.
You may well asks “Who the fuck is Sarah Monahan when she’s at home?”, and quite rightly so: a child actor who, aside from her part as Jenny in Hey Dad!, has never held a major role in any project she’s been associated with. And even then there’s been no acting work credited to her since 1996. Anything to her name since that date that is related to the television or movie industry is mostly behind-the-scenes positions that barely even rate a mention on IMDB.
So, why is this suddenly newsworthy, and why are Woman’s Day even bothering wasting space on this shit?
If you ask me – and you should – this is nothing more than some kind of publicity stunt. Why else would she publically speak about something that happened over 20 years ago and were supposedly “distressing memories”?
The news article claims that the now US-based Monahan works with her husband in the television industry. A brief butcher’s at her website claims something quite different: She’s actually running a business going by the name of ShrimpTank Productions – primarily concerned with search engine optimization and social media. Along with her husband, she has supposedly created a series of short videos called Going Down. Unfortunately, these are about scuba diving – not what I had hoped for, but eh.
Looking around on teh intarwebs, I can’t find anywhere these scuba diving videos have been posted. Nor can I find any evidence that they have actually been purchased for airing by any television production company or network. Monahan herself states on her personal website that she hopes that the videos will one day be picked up for television. Any fucktard with a video camera can put videos on the internet. That doesn’t make you a creator of television programs.
So, I think it’s safe to assume that Sarah Monahan can be classified as a has-been and is starved for attention, especially given that her current endeavours don’t appear to be that successful and any website she’s involved with does nothing more than attempt to ride on the “success” of Hey Dad!.
So let’s turn to the actual allegation. It may be true, it may be a load of bullshit. The only people who know for sure are Monahan and the other person in question (if they exist).
But I am curious as to why she’s so vague about it. If you’re going to come out and make such an allegation, why not go the whole fucking hog and name names? This ambiguity bullshit, in my opinion, just adds to the weight of my argument that the whole thing is completely made up.
Interestingly, the Woman’s Day article says this:
Sarah still recalls all too vividly being repeatedly groped by a person involved with Hey Dad..!. At first, she says, the person, who cannot be named for legal reasons, made a game of tickling her, but it soon evolved into something more sinister.
Legal reasons?
This suggests one of two things: Either the matter was brought to the attention of police many years ago and subsequently dealt with, or that the whole thing is complete fucking bullshit and naming anyone would open her up to legal action.
However, let’s just assume for a moment that these allegations are actually true.
Chris Truswell was quoted in the newspaper article:
Chris Truswell, who played family friend Gerald “Nudge” Noritis, said he was surprised by the allegations and feared people would think he was the alleged assailant.
Why is he so worried about what people might think?
Interestingly, while doing some reading up on Hey Dad!, the actors and production I did find this piece from the Trivia page for Hey Dad! on IMDB:
- Lead actor Robert Hughes is the only key cast member to repeatedly refuse any involvement in reunions or retrospectives of the series.
- Around the time he left the show in late 1993, Robert Hughes was involved in a court case against another ‘Hey Dad..!’ cast member. Rachael Beck departed the series shortly after this happened.
Of course, not to suggest that Robert Hughes or the court case mentioned above had anything to do with this alleged incident. Although one might ask why he is so keen to distance himself from Hey Dad!.
But just for good lolz here’s what appears to be a publicity still of Monahan and Hughes on the set of Hey Dad!:
But none of that is really relevant. Because I claim that Sarah Monahan is full of shit.
I’m not going to speculate on whether she’s telling the truth or not, but I had a good laugh at Nudge being worried that people might think it’s him.
No Nudge. You were about seven. Nobody thought it was you.
I’m not going to speculate on whether she’s telling the truth or not
Why?
family friend Gerald “Nudge” Noritis
WHAT. THE. FUCK? He has a real name? And it’s GERALD? That is the most shocking thing I’ve read all day!
Although one might ask why he is so keen to distance himself from Hey Dad!.
Really? You have to ask why someone would want to distance themselves from a show that derived its biggest laughs from a redhead putting whiteout on a computer screen and Matthew Krok? I considered it actually quite sensible that anyone who worked on that show would want to disassosciate themselves from it.
Then again, it could be worse. It could be Hampton Court.
I never saw Hampton Court. But if Hey Dad! was anything to go by, I’m glad it passed me by.
Rachael Beck was hot. I didn’t like how they changed the Simon from the Henderson Kids guy to the other one.
I found her to be incredibly annoying. I’m pleased her career amounted to nothing.
Great article. Definitely a publicity stunt!
I’m glad someone agrees with me on that.
Bitches lying about sexual assaults to get attention. Nothing new.
It’s this sort of logic that makes it so easy for me to get away with such things.
Teagan
your phrasing is very offputting. The whole thing does smell of a money grab but referring to other women as bitches really puts you at the bottom of the barrel.
Shut up, bitch.
Andy B , i agree with everything you said here.
Incidentally, did they model the face on the Dick Smith Electronics sign of that shot of Hughesy there? http://bit.ly/dCAkYb
Fact: People who were fiddled with as kids generally take 15+ years to say what happened. Look at all the priest cases that took 30+ years to come to light.
Plus, I’d say it was the magazine who didn’t want to publish the name because it’s their coffers that would be chased. Either way it’s hard to know the truth.
You may be right. But I’m still calling bullshit on this one. Maybe it is true, but something just isn’t right about it.
That’s correct, something isn’t right. A dirty old man. The shame, the self-disgust. All that. Now with all the stuff coming out in the news I take no pleasure in the apparent likelihood of being right. She was clever in going to the media first, harder to sweep under the rug that way.
If you’re right on the Robert guy, that’d be GOLD!
Yes, folks. You heard it here first. Spatula City. Solving Melbourne’s most sinister crimes…
Well, I’m not making any accusations at all. I’m just sayin’ that it’s an interesting combination of information.
Looks like you struck gold!
Well, according to the show’s producer, Gary Reilly, there was a lot of innuendo surrounding someone central to the show, and concerning Sarah’s replacement, Rachel Beck. In the end, the subject of this innuendo, after chaperones were put in place and investigations were made, walked out on the show and Reilly hasn’t seen him since. During his interview on ACA tonight, in which Tracey Grimshaw sank to new lows of scapegoating even for her, it was made abundantly clear (short of naming him) that it was Robert Hughes they were talking about. Now why is it you called bullshit on this? Is it because you’re just a suspicious, cynical ignoramus, or do you actually have some facts to back up your fucking ridiculous and totally insensitive argument? You should get a job on ACA too. Never heard of you or your blog before today, but then again I never have paid too much attention to dickheads. Maybe at the next Walkleys they’ll create a special category for you to win: Smelliest Online Turd Journalism. I’d vote for you.
My god, what a massive faggot you are. How many cocks did you suck on while writing that?
And how many brain cells did you use coming up with that witty comeback, you fucking arrogant biggot?
I thought it up while I was fucking your mother up the arse. Did you know she really loves A2M?
HAHAHA DISREGARD THAT, I SUCK COCKS
Hmm. Cock.
You really are such a loser. Of course in your world it’s not possible for Sarah Monahan to have gone through something like this.
You’re probably one of those morons who also comes out with comments like “It’s not rape if she liked it”. Idiot. You’re an example of why so many Australian men are insensitive, vile, sexist pigs.
Yeah, I agree. I was telling this to your mother last night while I was fucking her in the arse. Then I wiped my dick on her curtains.
This has been known about for at least 10 years! The suspect is known to the police and finally it is coming out. She is telling the truth. Go Tracey for nailing him on ACA, and it is not Gary Reilly but as Tracey suggested..”He was pivotal to the show and left”..um..wonder who he was!
GR followup: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/tv-boss-heard-rumours/story-e6frf96f-1225843072016
Regardless of all that (if it’s even true) it’s still very odd that all this is coming out now. There is some form of attention whoring going on.
Maybe what you’re doing could also be called “some form of attention whoring” here? You’ll never understand what it’s like to be molested, so no point explaining how you try to block it out, but as an adult you can take the torment no more and have to speak up. Another girl on the show was harrassed by him too you know.
I do know what it’s like to be molested. I molest myself every night.
On second thoughts I have decided I agree with everything you have to say. I apologise.
It’s more publicly shaming all those who knew into speaking than famewhoring.
That herald son article doesnt really answer the question one way or the other.. :/ all it really says was “i’m not saying he did it.. but if he did.. he is a bad..” and most of what he’s going on about appears to involve another cast member.. not this Sarah person..
Inspired.. i went and stalked myself.. :D
sooo.. in 2007 the best of “Hey Dad” was released on DVD (vol. 1) (See also http://dvd.bigpondmovies.com/actors/63571/Sarah%20Monahan)
ok so a quick search of sarah monahan + 2007 reveals this dead link to news.com.au on google.. (infortunatly not cached.. but the gist is there).
“Hey Dad star had obsessive fan | News.com.au
4 May 2007 … but childhood star Sarah Monahan has revealed there was a dark side … “I had a stalker when Iwas only nine or 10 years old,” she says. …
http://www.news.com.au/hey-dad-star-had-obsessive…/story-0-1111113467501”
So… a stalker eh, scarey… and revealed at the same time as your big dvd release….. ok.. so moving on..
A close look at her website shows that any comments journal entries etc seem to be from this year.. infact the earliest post i can find seems to be from october 2009, infact this is true for her personal site.. As well as the “Going Down” site and the internet thing she’s doing over at http://shrimptank.net/ Sooooo…………. 2007 = big release + scandal… 2010 = big release + scandal?
I wonder how many more scandals she’s got in the scandal bank.
That’s some nice work there sir.
I watched the Hey Dad! reunion special on Youtube the other night. It was an uncomfortable gathering of people who were once on TV and clearly had made nothing of their career afterwards. Very awkward thing to watch.
It’s been an “open secret” for many years that a major player in the “Hey Dad” franchise liked children (girls AND boys) but like you Andy you have to wonder about the timing. Why now, after all this time.
I think Bobsmack above has got it right.
Watching ACA? Y’know, she has a poor American accent, y’know. And says y’know every 3 seconds. I had to turn it off.
I watched the interview on the ACA website and it was so fucking painful to watch. She sounds like a fucking LJ drama queen.
She’s piled on the kilos too.
Well that qualilfes her to be leader of the opposition. Have you umm, heard him ahhhh, talk, er, lately?
Geezus Sara has an annoying accent. Like Greg Norman crossed with a valley girl.
Robert Hughes definitely *looks* guilty though.
I hope Bob Saget didn’t fondle the Olsen Twins.
If there is any truth to the story I think the whole thing has been blown up into something way bigger than it actually originally was. Maybe he was a bit too touchy-feely, maybe his behaviour was inappropriate but at the end of the day sitting me on his lap, playing tickling games and getting undressed/dressed in front of me sounds a lot like what my father did when I was a child. Perhaps Robert saw himself as a father figure and got a bit too familiar. As Sarah herself said that Robert never touched her below the waist so what exactly is he being persecuted for?
And besides if Sarah Monahan was so incredibly effected by this why would she have several publicity photos of herself sitting on Robert’s lap displayed on her own website. If Ben Oxenbould was so disturbed by it why would his photo and voice over samples be on Robert’s wife Robin’s RGM entertainment web site where he is listed as a client?
Its all a bit fishy if you ask me. Innocent until proven guilty.
I’m with you on this one Andy B. She’s full of shit. And here’s more proof it’s a money grabbing stunt …
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/hey-dad-publicity-agent-no-comment-on-media-deals/story-e6frfku0-1225846178319
So fat the agent has clocked up 40,000 bucks in fees. That amounts to around $400,000 plus these parasites are making.
Well written Andy, I agree with everything you’ve said here! *clap*