Adelaide comedian JooYung Roberts speaks out about alleged sexual assault at the hands of Tom Ballard
ADELAIDE comedian JooYung Roberts has spoken out about the alleged sexual assault he suffered at the hands of ABC TV presenter Tom Ballard.
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ADELAIDE comedian JooYung Roberts has spoken out about the alleged sexual assault he suffered at the hands of ABC TV presenter Tom Ballard.
Roberts, 24, has accused the popular comedian of assaulting him four years ago following a comedy gig in Adelaide, a claim which Ballard has strongly denied.
Roberts said he has battled suicidal thoughts and substance abuse issues since the incident, which allegedly occurred in Ballard’s hotel room in June 2014.
“It was a traumatising experience for many reasons, one of those being I’m a heterosexual,” he said.
“It’s a risk speaking out about sexual assault. It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever done. For the sake of my career I did not want to speak up about it.”
The success of the recent Me Too movement against sexual harassment and assault encouraged Roberts to come forward.
“The Me Too movement has changed the rules a little. It’s important to tell people if you’ve been sexually assaulted because you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of,” he said.
Ballard, a comedian and host of the satirical news show Tonightly, said he became aware of the “deeply distressing” claim only about six months ago and decided to respond after Roberts wrote about the alleged incident on social media on Saturday.
In a statement on his website, Ballard described the claim as “an allegation that I completely deny in the strongest terms possible”.
“Four years ago I had a consensual sexual experience with someone,” he wrote.
“I had absolutely no idea he believed it wasn’t consensual until six months ago. His version of that experience as described on social media is simply not what happened.
“It fundamentally goes against who I am as a person and everything I believe in.”
Roberts said he was “disappointed” with Ballard’s response, describing it as “hypocritical”.
“I thought it was hypocritical of him to say he believes in the philosophy of the Me Too movement yet vehemently denies accusations when they’re levelled at himself,” he said.
Roberts said he met Ballard at a comedy show in Adelaide in June 2014.
The former tripleJ radio presenter was hosting an open mic night and Roberts was one of several stand-up performers.
The pair got talking at the bar after the show and Roberts said Ballard invited him back to his hotel room to “hang out”. He said they were not drunk.
“I thought he would give me some tips and share some advice (about comedy). I was unaware at the time he wanted to have sex with me.”
Roberts alleges Ballard forced himself on the then 20-year-old inside the hotel room, kissing him and grabbing his genitalia.
He said he was too “scared” to say no at the time.
“At the time I was scared, I’d only been doing stand-up comedy for a month. He was one of the more famous comedians in the country. I was inhibited. In the moment I didn’t want to cause offence to this guy. I wasn’t able to defend myself,” he said.
When Ballard went to the bathroom, Roberts put his clothes back on and eventually left the room.
He said he went to the police in the days after the alleged assault but they told him Ballard hadn’t “gone outside the confines of the law”.
“Consent is trickier than that (yes or no). It’s got to be an enthusiastic yes,” he said.
Roberts said in the years following the alleged assault, he struggled dealing with the traumatic experience, suffering mental health and substance abuse issues.
“Rock bottom is a dark place. I have suffered from suicidal ideation,” he said.
In the last six months, he said he’s been seeing a psychologist who has helped him deal with the alleged assault.
Roberts, who still performs stand-up comedy around town, said he hoped by coming forward he would encourage others to no longer be silent about their experiences.
“To any survivors out there, you’ve got nothing to be ashamed of. If you tell the truth all the right people will be on your side,” he said.
For help or support for suicide or mental health issues, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondBlue on 1300 22 4636
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