Miranda Devine Has Apologised To Quaden Bayles For Scam Accusation Tweets
"I now know those comments were hurtful and untrue"
News Corp columnist Miranda Devine has Tweeted an apology to 9-year-old Quaden Bayles for Tweets suggesting that he faked being a bullying victim.
Earlier this year Quaden Bayles, a 9-year-old boy with achondroplasia dwarfism, went viral when his mother posted a video showing him distraught due to bullying. There was a huge response to the video, with celebrities sending him messages, and people donating money (which his family largely redirected to charities).
But ensuring that we wouldn’t just see an example of community rallying and doing nice things for a kid who deserved it, there was a backlash from some people. One of these people was News Corp columnist Miranda Devine.
She retweeted a claim that Quaden was an actor, creating the video in order to get donations and scam people out of money. She added “That’s really rotten if this was a scam. Hurts genuine bullying victims. Over to @dailytelegraph.” She stated other things, including a reply that he had been coached to say things “no nine year old would say.”
In August, it was reported that the Bayles family had brought a defamation lawsuit against News Corp and Miranda Devine over the Tweets. And now, seven months after the fact, and ahead of a settlement, Devine has finally issued an apology to Quaden and his mother.
In February this year I posted some comments on my personal Twitter account about Quaden Bayles and his mother Yarraka. I now know those comments were hurtful and untrue. I sincerely apologise to the Bayles for those comments.
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) September 19, 2020
Many people are sceptical of the sincerity of the apology, wondering if the legal battle had anything to do with the long-awaited apology.
Miranda Devine apologises for Quaden Bayles tweets ahead of defamation settlement. I am sure the apology was heartfelt. Or pocketfelt. https://t.co/oYS2xje8pq
— Jenna Price (@JennaPrice) September 19, 2020
I, for one, am not buying the “sincerely” bit.
— Sean (Under a Bus in Oz) ? (@pharnzwurth) September 19, 2020
bullied a nine year old and its taken seven months and a lawsuit to make you realise it could be hurtful? I aint buying it https://t.co/cifgkSgIxX
— Zac (@isaacjroberts) September 19, 2020
You may have apologized but very few would believe that you’re sorry.
— Ron Baumann (@DrRonBaumann) September 19, 2020
Other people are requesting that either way she needs to go further, with one Tweet not enough to make up for the damage she has caused.
This is pathetic. Have you put out a proper statement as to why and how you were wrong and committed to educating yourself not just on the rights of disabled children but also on fake news and how to not propagate it? You know, as a media “professional”?
— Celeste Liddle (@Utopiana) September 19, 2020
The parties will be returning to court at a later date, so we will find out if the public apology impacts the outcome.