Wayne Carey backs down from Crown legal threat

Wayne Carey and his high profile lawyer Josh Bornstein have backed away from a threat to sue Crown over his white powder scandal.

Disgraced former AFL star Wayne Carey will not pursue legal action against Crown Resorts over last year’s infamous white power scandal in Perth.

It was September 1 last year when Carey was escorted from the party hotspot after a bag of white power – which he claimed was crushed up anti-inflammatories – fell out of his pocket.

The Herald Sun understands Carey, who was visiting Perth for broadcasting duties, said at the time he used the medication regularly to control pain from his playing days.

The former Kangaroos player is reportedly overseas but his manager Chris Giannopoulos on Wednesday confirmed to the Herald Sun the embattled media identity had withdrawn the services of the lawyers.

Former AFL great Wayne Carey breaks his silence after he was allegedly caught with a bag of white powder at the Crown Casino in Perth. Picture: Catie McLeod

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers were engaged by Carey, 51, in the wake of the incident, fuelling speculation Carey was considering suing for possible disability discrimination.

Solicitor Josh Bornstein said at the time that Carey, who is now dating entpreneur Catie O’Neill, was incorrectly ejected “under the assumption that the bag contained an illegal drug”.

“Mr Carey was ejected after Casino authorities saw a bag containing a white substance and despite Mr Carey’s denial made an incorrect assumption that the bag contained an illegal drug,” Maurice Blackburn added in a statement.

Wayne Carey was stood down from a number of cushy media jobs in the aftermath of last year’s white powder scandal. Picture: Getty Images

“Mr Carey is prescribed anti-inflammatories and pain-killing medicine to help manage the significant pain caused by debilitating football injuries – including a shoulder that needs replacing and a neck injury that requires three discs to be replaced.”

The scandal promptly resulted in Carey being stood down from his cushy roles as a Channel 7 commentator and other high-paying roles, including radio network Triple M.

The Age also confirmed he will not continue as a columnist with the paper for 2023.

Western Australian Police did not file criminal charges over the matter but Carey was slapped with a two-year bar from Crown’s casino complexes.

The centre half-forward played 272 game and won premierships with North Melbourne in 1996 and 1999.

Maurice Blackburn Lawyers declined to comment on the matter.