Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello calls Lucy Cornes’ apology ‘meaningless’ but won’t sue
Cosi has described Lucy and Kane Cornes’ apology for calling him a thief as “arse covering”, asking why they couldn’t simply pick up the phone.
Confidential
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- THE CLAIM: Cornes accuses Cosi of stealing footage
- THE RETRACTION: Lucy Cornes apologises for allegation
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Andrew “Cosi” Costello has described Lucy Cornes’s apology for calling him a thief as “meaningless and arse covering” but says he’s decided against launching defamation action.
Lucy and husband Kane issued an apology and retraction on social media on Thursday, saying they “unreservedly apologised” to Costello for claiming the TV and radio host “stole” footage for a segment on his TV travel show.
Lucy, chief executive of creative production agency She Digital, admitted their claims that Costello had “stolen” vision – which was shot by She Digital – of Discovery Holiday Parks for use on South Aussie with Cosi were “false and completely without foundation”.
Costello said on Friday he was still “deeply hurt” the high-profile couple had yet to personally call and apologise for their false accusations.
“Lucy’s and Kane’s lack of direct contact is what started this mess and their lack of contact is what dragged it out. I would have accepted their apology instantly and in fact still would.
Kane Cornes where are you?” Costello said on his hit107 breakfast show on Friday morning.
“If you’re going to take shots at people and their business, when you get it wrong you need to be man enough to call up and say you’re sorry? And that you were wrong. I’ve heard nothing from you since you called me a thief.
“Lucy ... getting on Hit107 and saying it’s just your “fiery side” and an apology written by a lawyer on your pages is meaningless and arse covering. A phone call with an honest voice saying I stuffed up and I’m sorry is all that was needed. I would have forgave you in 30 seconds. I kept checking my messages every hour hoping either of them had messaged to say sorry. But neither did.”
This afternoon, Kane told The Advertiser he and Lucy had both called Costello today to apologise once they realised he was open to personal communication.
“The only reason we didn’t apologise personally was because we received an instruction from Cosi that any communication with him be via his lawyer and because he publicly stated that he required a public apology, which we provided on multiple social media platforms,” Kane said.
Costello has decided against taking legal action against the couple, saying he “couldn’t inflict pain on another SA family”.
“People had told me not pursuing the Corneses would be a weak stance. But the courts are full of people slogging it out and I didn’t want to add to it,” he said.
“My family and I are not litigious people. As a family we have decided that we want to rise above all of this and as far as we are concerned this all ends now.
“We have been blown away by the support this state has offered us in the last week. It’s humbling. Thousands upon thousands of messages. So thanks heaps SA.”
Lucy and Kane made the original claims on Sunday night after the episode went to air on Nine.
Costello immediately responded on social media, saying: “I had full approval from Discovery Holiday Park who paid Lucy and Kane Cornes to shoot the footage. To be accused of stealing is very unfair.”
Lucy said on Thursday the footage was given to Costello for use on South Aussie with Cosi “without the consent of She Digital” but had Discovery Holiday Parks asked her for permission, she would have allowed the show to use the 20 seconds of vision.
“Discovery Holiday Parks simply did not appreciate the terms of the contract with SheDigital and the requirement to obtain consent,” Lucy wrote.
Lucy deleted her original post and appeared on Costello’s hit107 breakfast show on Monday morning where she offered an apology for calling him a thief on social media.
Costello engaged a lawyer, Greg Griffin, on Tuesday in an attempt to get a personal apology and retraction on their social media pages.