‘I’m proud’: Dylan Alcott responds to public sex toy scandal
Dylan Alcott has given a surprising response to the outcry that followed the release of a video showing him using a sex toy on his partner.
Tennis
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tennis. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Aussie champion Dylan Alcott remains unruffled by the commotion caused by a video of him using a sex toy on his girlfriend in a public restaurant.
The 31-year-old has opened up with raw honesty in a wide-ranging interview with Body+Soul where he addresses the criticism that followed the emergence of the video on social media.
The 2022 Australian of the Year helped his partner Chantelle Otten, a well-known sexologist, road test a new vibrator as the pair dined at a London restaurant.
The Melbourne sex therapist later shared a video of their activities on her Instagram Stories to promote the brand – and the video at the time sent shockwaves through social media.
Alcott’s response to the social media squabble shows he is proud of his partner’s work in helping the private lives of people with a disability.
“Everyone is entitled to their opinion,” he says in the feature interview.
“I’m not telling other people how they should react. All I know is what we represent in our relationship. I’m proud of the work that she does, and she supports me in the disability space.”
Some fans of the wheelchair tennis icon at the time expressed their surprise at the risque clip, while others suggested it was an inappropriate use of his platform as the first person with a disability to be named Australian of the Year.
Dylan and Chantelle have been dating for four years, with Chantelle previously declaring his physical limitations don’t affect their sex life.
“A lot of people think people with a disability don’t have sex but I’m having the best sex of my life and it’s important for me to say that,” she told Stellar in December 2020.
“There are people out there who might have a crush on someone with a disability but aren’t confident to ask questions about it. They need to know that these sex lives are important and erotic and achievable, and they can build a life together.
“Dylan and I are quite private but it’s important to get the word out. For me, working with people and having them know I’m in a relationship with someone with a disability is great.”
Meanwhile, Alcott has also given another insight into his journey from dark days to becoming one of the most admired people in the country.
He said the recent scandal which has seen pop icon Beyonce delete lyrics that included the term “spaz” in one of her songs did bring up memories of the treatment he sometimes received.
“My nicknames at school were ‘cripple’ and ‘spastic’ and it broke my heart, so I give them both credit that they realised what they did and changed it,” he said.
“I’m not here to light fires and abuse people. They’re definitely words I don’t use and if people say them to me – along with the ‘r’ word – I pull them up, not because I’m angry, but because I want to educate people.”
— Body+Soul is now available in The Sunday Herald Sun and The Sunday Telegraph
Originally published as ‘I’m proud’: Dylan Alcott responds to public sex toy scandal