Australian media personalities Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb have drawn criticism for moderating a Facebook group by shutting down discussions about the recent appointment of Luca Lavigne, 28, as the new CEO of Mamamia, a prominent Australian media company focused on women. Lavigne is the son of Mamamia founder Mia Freedman, and his promotion has ignited debate surrounding nepotism and the leadership of a male in a role at a brand built on female voices.
The controversy unfolded on the Facebook group for fans of "Chat 10 Looks 3," a podcast hosted by Sales and Crabb. According to reports, Sales intervened to close the discussion, citing her and Crabb's personal friendship with Freedman and their long-standing acquaintance with Lavigne, whom they have known since childhood.
Sales defended the decision, stating that the group was not intended as a platform for public figures to be criticized and that some users were seeking an "excuse to pile onto Mia Freedman." She subsequently closed the comments section.
The appointment of Lavigne, whose father Jason Lavigne also serves as Mamamia's executive chairman, was announced internally shortly before a wider industry release. Reports suggest the succession was carefully managed, with Lavigne preemptively addressing his entry into the company, emphasizing his decade of experience and leadership within Mamamia since joining as a writer in 2016 after a brief stint as a bartender.
His rise through the company has been described as meteoric by some former staff members. The news of his ascension reportedly led to considerable discussion among current and former Mamamia employees. One former staffer publicly shared a meme from the television show "Succession," alluding to Lavigne's rapid advancement within the family business.