Australian news anchors aired out their real feelings about tennis star Novak Djokovic—and it wasn’t pretty. Footage that leaked of Channel 7’s Rebecca Maddern and Mike Amor during a commercial break showed Maddern saying, “That Djokovic is a lying, sneaky asshole… It’s unfortunate that everyone else stuffed up around him. To go out when you’re COVID-positive—well, I don’t think he even was COVID-positive.” Amor replied, “I think he got a bullshit fucking excuse and then fell over his own fucking lies… But I think he’s going to get away with it.” Djokovic, who is unvaccinated against COVID-19, had traveled to Australia to play in the Australian Open, claiming he had received a medical exemption to the country’s vaccine requirement, citing a positive COVID test Dec. 16. Photos showed him in public without a mask on Dec. 17. After Australian immigration authorities detained him, he won an appeal for release, though an immigration judge must still decide whether he can stay in the country and compete. Maddern has apologized, and Seven Network Director of News and Public Affairs Craig McPherson said in a statement: “The illegal recording was of a private conversation between two colleagues. It was an underhanded, cowardly act.”
