Heartbreak High star accuses Marvel Stadium of ableism at Styles show

Marvel Stadium has been accused of ableism after fans said they were barred from its sensory room at Harry Styles’ concert on Friday night.

Heartbreak High star Chloe Hayden, who is autistic, said on Friday it was a slap in the face when a stadium worker made her feel unwelcome.

Heartbreak High star Chloe Hayden says she was turned away from Marvel Stadium’s sensory room.Credit: Jason South

The 25-year-old actor said she wanted to scope out the room before the pop star’s appearance.

“Mum and I went to look over it, to see where it was, how to access it, how to get there … as soon as we walked up, we were met with almost quite dismissive behaviour,” Hayden said.

She added: “[The worker] looked over me and did a once-over, checked me out, and she told me, ‘oh, it’s not available’.

“That was a good hour-and-a-half before the concert started. My mum was with me and she kind of questioned: ‘Do you have to book for it?’

“They said no, and definitely made out that I wasn’t welcome in that space.”

The room, located on the stadium’s third level, was designed to be a “quieter and more secure environment”. A description on the venue’s website says staff would be trained by leading medical professionals.

Users can also hire sensory bags that include noise-cancelling headphones, fidget tools and visual cue cards.

After sharing her experience, Hayden said she received dozens of messages from people claiming the stadium discriminated against them.

One concertgoer said she was experiencing a panic attack and asked a worker for the sensory room. “The staff member looked me up and down and simply said, ‘That’s not a real panic attack’,” they wrote.

Another person wrote: “I just tried to get one of the sensory packs too and they asked to see my diagnosis forms.”

Yet another attendee claimed they were sent on a “wild goose chase”, accusing stadium workers of not knowing where the accessible bathrooms were.

Before the concert, Hayden shared her excitement with about 695,000 TikTok followers, posting videos of her sequin-emblazoned outfit and glittery make-up.

Hayden is a long-time fan of One Direction – the band that shot Styles to fame – and said it was a disappointing experience at a concert where the values of kindness and freedom were preached.

She said it was her first time attempting to use a sensory room in a public place.

“It’s quite scary to ask for help when you need it ... it’s always in the kind of the back of your mind, going: is me asking for help going to cause me more harm?”

After calling out the venue online, the actor will be in talks with a stadium representative on Monday about the issues she, and others, faced.

Chloe Hayden (centre) with Heartbreak High castmates James Majoos and Ayesha Madon.Credit: Elise Lockwood/Netflix

Hayden starred in the 2022 Netflix reboot of Australian teen drama Heartbreak High, winning critical acclaim for her portrayal of autistic character Quinn “Quinni” Gallagher-Jones.

A high-profile advocate for disability rights, she also released a book, Different, Not Less, last year.

On its website, Marvel Stadium says it partnered with US-based non-profit KultureCity to make the stadium and its events sensory-inclusive.

KultureCity’s board includes Hollywood stars Simu Liu and Ken Jeong, along with Australian sporting legends Renae and Joe Ingles, who launched Marvel’s sensory room in 2019.

Marvel Stadium spokesman Jay Allen said the venue was disappointed to hear patrons were unable to access the sensory room.

“Upon becoming aware of this issue, staff immediately made contact and have organised a time to openly discuss and better understand what happened so we can rectify it and make any appropriate changes to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

“Marvel Stadium was the first stadium in Melbourne to open a sensory room and takes great pride in welcoming everyone to the venue for events, with our sensory room being a safe and welcoming space for the many people who have used it since it was first introduced in 2019, including the many people that accessed it over the weekend during both concerts.

“While we sometimes experience capacity issues at major events, we still aim to provide a positive and caring experience for all patrons needing to find a quiet place and we sincerely apologise for the hurt and inconvenience that was caused on this occasion. We will continue to review our processes.”

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