Yumi Stynes Revisits Controversial Comments About Ben Roberts-Smith
Yumi Stynes has revisited controversial comments she made about Ben Roberts-Smith more than a decade ago, which resulted in public uproar and her apologising to Australia's most decorated soldier. The incident, she claims, effectively ended her television career and led to her being "cancelled."
The Original Controversy and Recent Arrest
Back in 2012, Yumi Stynes, then 50, faced severe backlash after comments she made about Ben Roberts-Smith on the now-defunct Channel Ten panel show The Circle. Roberts-Smith, 47, was recently arrested by Australian Federal Police a fortnight ago over allegations that he killed unarmed civilians while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. The Victoria Cross recipient is also accused of failing to stop members of his unit from killing three others.
During the 2012 show, Stynes commented on a photo of Roberts-Smith shirtless in a pool, saying, "Hello! Look at that physique!" before making a wisecrack about muscular men like Roberts-Smith and intelligence. Her co-panellist, the late George Negus, added, "I'm sure he's a really good guy, nothing about poor old Ben, but that sort of bloke, and what if they're not up to it in the sack?"
Fallout and Apology
Stynes publicly apologised on the show, stating she was merely commenting on how Roberts-Smith was a "very handsome guy." She explained, "I made a joke - because how could anyone possibly be so perfect? What I didn't estimate was how much my joke was not appreciated. I sort of intimated that maybe he wasn't very smart, because how could you be that buff and spend that much time in the gym and be smart as well?"
She continued, "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to offend anybody and I have total respect for people that work in the defence forces, and I've never met Ben but I'm sure he's lovely and he does seem like a family man."
Career Impact and Cancellation Claims
Stynes has said the pile-on that followed resulted in her being "cancelled" and virtually ended her television career. She detailed the fallout, noting, "The thing I want to point out is that I'm still allowed - from my position of ignorance and no psychic abilities - to criticise somebody. And the fact that I was cancelled, my livelihood was taken away and I was threatened to be killed, raped, maimed and my children hurt by thousands of Australian men – that's the thing you need to think about."
She questioned, "Why are some people unable to be criticised? Why was that such a cancellable offence...? It wasn't just men but also women... wanting me to lose my job and my livelihood." In 2023, Stynes confirmed that her comments cost her a career in television, saying, "Some of those real world consequences include the fact I'm not on television anymore."
Recent Reflections and Comparisons
Recently, Yumi noted that friends had contacted her in the wake of Roberts-Smith's arrest, saying she was expressing that "that kind of guy's not attractive to me." She added, "So that's the sum total of my insights. So please don't attribute more wisdom to me than I had at the time, which was none whatsoever."
She then seemingly compared herself with Grace Tame - the former Australian of the Year who lost her Nike contract last year after a series of pro-Palestine posts - in making the point that high-profile women were often the subject of heavy criticism. Yumi asked, "What happens if you criticise Zionism? Do you lose your Nike f***ing contract?"
Disproportionate Backlash and Current Work
In 2023, Stynes was asked by columnist Peter FitzSimons if she resented that she "copped 95 per cent (of the fallout), while the attacks on Negus were more drive-by than sustained?" She responded, "I think he lost a bit of work around it but what was directed to me was disproportionate: very gendered, very racist and an awful lot of wishing murder... The whole of my existence was questioned, whereas I think for George it was like 'that probably wasn't the best thing you've ever said'."
Stynes is now a podcaster and author, fronting ABC Radio's podcast Ladies, We Need to Talk, and the SBS production SEEN. Roberts-Smith is on bail and his case returns to court at a later date.
