Shark attack survivor Leah Stewart has broken her silence following remarks made by Australian radio hosts Kate Langbroek, Brendan Fevola, and Nick Cody, who cast doubt on her account of a great white shark mauling.
Stewart, 35, was attacked on June 13 while swimming at Sydney's Coogee Beach, resulting in the loss of part of her left arm. Her subsequent interviews describing the incident, including one on Channel Nine's 60 Minutes and another on the UK's TV breakfast program, led to online criticism and the radio hosts' questioning of her narrative.
In a statement posted to Instagram on Wednesday night, Stewart shared her emotional state. "I want to be a bit vulnerable here," she wrote. "Watching my Good Morning Britain interview, you may have noticed how calm I seemed describing the attack, the host even said it looked like I had no PTSD.
"Truthfully, I still feel disconnected from it, almost like it happened in a dream. I think that's my mind protecting me while I begin processing it. I'm very early in that process, but wanted to give a snapshot of where I'm at. Truthfully I'm a bit scared to move past this current state of mind."
During the 60 Minutes interview, Stewart recounted the moments leading up to the attack, her instinct to protect her then-one-year-old daughter, and her decision to fight back. She described punching the shark repeatedly, comparing the experience to fighting a dinosaur and punching a brick wall. "You ugly f***er, you are not taking me away from my daughter," she recalled saying.
The radio hosts, however, questioned the timing and details of Stewart's recollection, particularly her claim of deciding which arm to lose and punching the shark. Brendan Fevola suggested Stewart had embellished her account, stating, "She's lying! Too much time to think!" Kate Langbroek noted the unusual nature of her reaction, comparing it to professional surfer Mick Fanning's shark encounter, where he described acting on reflex.
Fevola elaborated, saying, "Come on, oh right or left? Like bro, you are amazing - you punched a shark in the face and survived - but you're not thinking all that. That's a lot of mayo."
These comments drew significant criticism from listeners and the public, with many accusing the trio of poor form and calling for disciplinary action against the presenters. The backlash highlights a public defense of Stewart and a desire to shield her from further distress as she recovers and processes the traumatic event.