Fifi Box — radio personality, mother-of-one and all-round excellent human being — has opened up out about the shocking moment she was sexually assaulted by a male celebrity during a radio interview in the early 2000s.
The 40-year-old detailed the incident while discussing Taylor Swift’s counter-lawsuit against DJ David Mueller, who allegedly groped the pop-star during a meet-and-greet.
She said that fear and intimidation stopped her from her from doing anything about it at the time.
“I can say that I’ve found myself, as a young woman particularly working in the media, in situations where I’ve found myself uncomfortable,” she said on The Fifi, Dave, Fev & Byron Show.
“You could argue I’ve been sexually assaulted, and yet laughed or giggled my way through I because I’ve been scared or intimidated by the situation.”
“There was one particular guest who came into the studio… I was 24, 25 at the time and he would’ve been in his 50s. Very high profile.”
“He sat in the radio studio and during the interview, he was touching me — reaching over and grabbing and stroking my leg — and then… grabbed my head and forced it down into his crotch. Actually rubbed my head in his crotch.”
She recalled going into a state of shock as the incident unfolded.
“A part of you is shocked. Is this guy actually doing this to me? You’re trying to be polite…”
“Our boss came into the studio and I was like, ‘Oh thank god, you’re here to save me’. Our boss wanted a photo with that person. In that moment I’m thinking, ‘maybe what happened to me is fine?’”
“It’s when you walk away you think, ‘I’m not happy with that’.”
WATCH: Fifi is a proud mother to daughter Trixie. Post continues…
Co-host Byron Cooke, who also witnessed the assault, said that he and Fifi would not accept the same behaviour in today’s workplace.
He also revealed that he refused to air the prerecorded interview, despite the unidentified guest’s high-profile.
“Knowing what we know now, we would not have accepted that and we would’ve been a hell of a lot more vocal than we were,” he said.
“We were both kids in that situation… In the moment, it was awkwardly laughed off because we thought, I don’t know, maybe that’s what happens.”
He added: “It wasn’t right.”
If you or anyone you know needs support, please phone 1800-RESPECT (1800 737 732).
