Fresh twist in legal dogfight over ownership of an Instagram-famous pooch as barrister sues A Current Affair for painting her as ‘a thief who stole Oscar the Cavoodle’
- Barrister suing Nine’s A Current Affair over coverage of Cavoodle ownership row
- Show broadcast footage of confrontation in park over Instagram-famous dog
- Supreme Court confirmed barrister dogsitter is Oscar’s owner last November
- Gina Edwards now claims ACA ‘ambushed’ and ‘humiliated and harassed’ her
A bitter courtroom battle over the disputed ownership of a model cavoodle has spun off into a dog-eat-dog media showdown.
Barrister Gina Edwards is suing A Current Affair over its reports of the dogfight about who owns Instagram-famous pooch Oscar.
The dog has been the subject of a long-running tug of love since Ms Edwards claimed ownership of Oscar after making him a social media star while dogsitting.
But when cruise ship director Mark Gillespie – said to be Oscar’s registered owner – confronted Ms Edwards at a park on Sydney’s North Shore, TV cameras were rolling.
A bitter courtroom battle over the disputed ownership of model Cavoodle pooch Oscar (pictured) has spun off into a dog-eat-dog media legal row
Ms Edwards claims ACA set out to ‘humiliate and harass her’ and ‘ambushed’ her to film the confrontation in Kirribilli Park, according to the Daily Telegraph.
The show broadcast footage on May 24, 2021, of Mr Gillespie telling Ms Edwards she was exploiting the ‘perfect Instagram model’ and insisting: ‘He’s my property.’
In bizarre scenes, he grabbed the dog and tried to keep hold of the cuddly cavoodle while Ms Edwards screamed back: ‘You cannot take him.’
The feud started when Ms Edwards began posting photos of Oscar on Instagram in 2019, landing him endorsement deals and even gigs at Sydney Opera House.
Mr Gillespie told ACA he allowed Oscar to stay with Ms Edwards while he fought to prove his ownership in court.
Barrister Gina Edwards (pictured) is suing Nine’s A Current Affair over their reports of the dogfight about who owns Instagram-famous, Osca
Cruise ship director Mark Gillespie (pictured) – said to be Oscar’s registered owner – confronted Ms Edwards at a park on Sydney’s North Shore as TV cameras were rolling
In August, the District Court referred the ownership fight to the Supreme Court after both parties agreed the dog was now worth more than $20,000.
And in November, the Supreme Court finally granted official ownership to Ms Edwards and her husband.
But now the dog is at the centre of fresh legal action in Ms Edwards’ defamation claim against Nine, ACA, and reporter Steve Marshall.
She filed documents with the Federal Court claiming the ACA segments defamed her by falsely implying she was ‘a thief who stole Oscar the Cavoodle’ and delayed a court case.
Ms Edwards claims ACA set out to ‘humiliate and harass her’ and ‘ambushed’ her to film the flashpoint in Kirribilli Park, according to the Daily Telegraph
In bizarre scenes, he grabbed the dog and tried to keep hold of the cuddly Cavoodle while Ms Edwards was seen to reply: ‘You cannot take him’
She also claimed the show accused her of exploiting the dog for her own financial benefit and ‘ambushed’ her with the camera crew at Kirribilli Park.
Her lawsuit claims she was subjected to ‘offensive ridicule’ and Nine used misleading edits to the footage while setting out to damage her professional reputation.
‘Marshall’s attendance, with a Channel 9 camera crew, at Edwards’ chambers on Phillip Street and her home in North Sydney, which was plainly intended to humiliate and harass her,’ the statement of claim read.
Ms Edwards’ lawyers said the follow-up story also implied she was using ‘delay tactics to prolong her unlawful possession of Oscar’.
in November, the Supreme Court finally granted official ownership to Gina Edwards and her husband
The court documents claimed the show used the footage on social media and in articles and broadcasts that were viewed hundreds of thousands times, with thousands more shares, comments, and reactions.
A concerns notice – a legal forerunner to a defamation action – sent in November was allegedly ignored by Nine, according to the court documents.
Ms Edwards demanded damages, aggravated damages, and the removal of online articles and footage. Nine will file a defence at a later date.
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