Skye falls over abuse opinion
A FORMER reality TV contestant has received scathing criticism online for saying she “lacks empathy” for women caught in abusive relationships.
One-time Big Brother participant Skye Wheatley made the damning comments in a video posted to her YouTube channel on Wednesday.
“I lack empathy for people who bring shit situations into their own lives,” Wheatley, 25, told her 200,000 YouTube followers.
“For example, if a girl is with a guy that beats her and she’s in a position to leave but doesn’t, and she stays with him, I don’t feel sorry for those types of girls. They are bringing it on themselves.
“I’m not going to feel sorry for someone who is literally creating their own reality.
“And like people who try to be victims and just like ‘poor me, poor me’ make something of your life.”
Wheatley deleted the video after a public backlash.
However, it was later shared on Instagram by Pebbles Hooper, who told her 15,000 followers the remarks were “prolific and poisonous”.
Responding to the criticism, Wheatley claimed she had been “bullied” in a new video to her 600,000 followers on Instagram.
“When someone with a large following has an opinion, which is just an opinion by the way, everyone else is allowed to have, we get ridiculed, ganged up on (and) bullied,” she wrote.
“People are emailing my sponsors. Like f--- off. Honestly sorry to be aggressive but I don’t have time for it, they don’t have time for it.”
Wheatley later deleted the response on Instagram, apologised and said she had been a victim of domestic violence herself.
“Please let me sincerely apologise for my off-the-cuff comments. They were not meant to be interpreted the way they have been. I am truly sorry,” she wrote online.
Her remarks angered domestic violence workers.
Gold Coast Centre Against Sexual Assault director Di MacLeod said Wheatley was “shallow and misinformed”.
“I think it’s disappointing. She clearly blames them for the offenders’ behaviour.
“There are people who can not leave situations because of many reasons. We don’t want them to blame themselves when they can’t leave.
“Everything she says and posts has the capacity to influence.
“The message to her would be there is such an opportunity to influence people in a positive way.
“Maybe get some education and information about what would be a positive message to send.
“We don’t want people to blame themselves for staying in those situations.”
THEY WERE NOT MEANT TO BE INTERPRETED THE WAY THEY HAVE BEEN. I AM TRUELY SORRY SKYE WHEATLEY