Radio crew's 'bathwater' stunt leads to Jacob Elordi being accused of assault in Australia

A radio producer in Australia has alleged that Jacob Elordi physically assaulted him outside a hotel in Sydney, prompting a police investigation into the incident.

Elordi was at the Clovelly Hotel in the Sydney suburbs Saturday when Joshua Fox, a producer for “The Kyle & Jackie O Show” on a local commercial radio station KIIS FM, approached him. Fox, who detailed the incident himself, said that he asked Elordi for some bathwater - a reference from Elordi's film "Saltburn" - for Jackie O for her birthday, when the actor asked him to stop filming and delete the footage.

The situation soon escalated and "Jacob kind of just flips and he kind of pushes me against the wall and his hands are on my throat, said Fox on “The Kyle & Jackie O Show" Sunday.

'You're kidding'

In the recording that was aired on the show, Fox can be heard introducing himself to Elordi before proceeding to give him a container.

“Really random but I want to give you this, Jackie wants a birthday present,” Fox said.

“Jacob Elordi’s bath water,” Elordi can be heard reading out.

“She’s a big fan of the movie,” Fox said.

“What am I supposed to do with this, put bath water in this?” Elordi questioned to which Fox said the actor is welcome to send it to the studio.

“You’re kidding me, right?” Elordi asked.

“Nah seriously, for Jackie O,” Fox replied.

“Are you filming?” Elordi asked.

“Yeah,” Fox replied.

“Can you not man, please?” Elordi asked before the audio abruptly cut out.

Fox said that he did not delete the footage and decided to keep it as "evidence" in case the situation escalated further than it had.

The producer said he felt “intimidated” as Elordi got “in (his) face” and backed him against a wall. The actor's security team was also present during the incident, said Fox.

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Fox said that he did not intend on filing a police report or providing a statement to the police. In an Instagram story, the producer said that he will not "be discussing or commenting on the Jacob Elordi incident away from what I said on air this morning," and thanked his followers for their kind messages.

Elordi's representatives did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

Investigation ongoing

Meanwhile, the New South Wales Police, in a statement to USA TODAY, said the matter is under investigation.

“Officers attached to Eastern Beaches Police Area Command are investigating after a man was allegedly assaulted outside a hotel in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs,” says NSW Police's statement.

“Police were told about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday 3 February 2024, a 32-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by a 26-year-old man," read the statement, adding that the man "did not sustain any injuries" and that an investigation into the "incident is continuing".

Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.