Daniel Johns vs The Sunday Tele: “The article was simply untrue”

The Sunday Telegraph has found itself in a rock and roll legend’s bad books.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Thursday (Sep 19), Daniel Johns says he has commenced defamation proceedings against the tabloid newspaper.

“On 11 August 2019, a photograph of me was splashed across the front page under the headline ‘King of the Kastle”, he wrote.

“According to the newspaper, it was a photograph of me leaving a brothel called The Kastle, which the article described as specialising in bondage, S&M, “brown showers” and “adult babies”

“The article stated that I am there so frequently that it has become my second home, spending up to 18 hours a day there for the previous two weeks. Additionally, it was stated that staff and patrons were “fed up” with me, and I was full of venom and anger.”

In response to today’s Daily Telegraph article, we state that Daniel Johns was not on the premises nor has been previously. We’re unsure of the source of this false information. In our 30 year history, we’ve never revealed the identity of clients and take privacy very seriously.

— Mistress Scarlett (@TheKastleSydney) August 11, 2019

However, Johns claims that “the article was simply untrue” and that “no contact was made with me or my representatives to check the facts before the article was published”.

“I have asked the newspaper for an apology and retraction. Neither has been provided,” he added.

“I have now issued legal proceedings in order to publicly correct the facts and vindicate my reputation.”

Also included in the legal action, filed with the Supreme Court of Victoria, are the paper’s editor Mick Carroll and journalist Amy Harris.

“This false reporting has been very hurtful, humiliating, and damaging to me and my family.

“It is disappointing that the newspaper has not acknowledged this and apologised despite assertions from both myself, and a representative of the Kastle, that I simply was not, and have never been, there.

“In fact, I never even knew of its existence.”

News Corp Australia and Harris have been contacted for comment.