Rugby league journalist Paul Kent has been suspended from his positions at The Daily Telegraph and Fox Sports following a video circulated on social media, depicting him involved in a street altercation outside a restaurant in Sydney’s inner west.
A spokesperson representing both organizations announced Kent’s suspension pending an immediate investigation.
Last December, Kent was acquitted of domestic violence allegations made by his former partner.
In the footage shared on social media platform X, Kent, known as the senior writer for The Daily Telegraph and the host of Fox Sports’ NRL 360, is seen engaged in a verbal exchange with another individual outside Totti’s Rozelle. The confrontation escalates into physical violence.
In the video, Kent is observed removing his watch before confronting the other individual, leading to an exchange of punches between the two men.
The altercation spills onto the street, with Kent ending up on the ground, his head hitting the gutter during the scuffle.
The cause of the dispute remains unclear, though Kent is reportedly heard in the video referring to a man as a “dog” and a “doghead” during the initial argument.
NSW Police stated they did not intervene in the altercation on Saturday night but confirmed an investigation into the incident involving multiple individuals on Sunday afternoon.
Police have interviewed witnesses and obtained CCTV footage as part of their ongoing inquiry.
Kent resumed his hosting duties on NRL 360 in March after a hiatus of nine months while awaiting trial for the domestic violence charges.
Last year, Kent faced allegations of assaulting his then 33-year-old ex-partner at his residence in Lilyfield on May 12.
However, he was acquitted of charges including common assault, intentionally choking a person without consent, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Following a two-day hearing in December, Magistrate Daniel Reiss ruled in Kent’s favor, citing discrepancies between the complainant’s testimony and Kent’s account.
The woman asserted Kent threw her to the ground when she reached for his phone on his home office desk and then grabbed her throat, resulting in injuries to her neck, arms, and hand.
In his verdict, Reiss noted that medical evidence indicated “no such injuries have been found on the neck,” and the photographs of the woman’s arms were inconclusive.
Regarding the physical altercation, Reiss described it as a matter of “one word against another,” stating he was not convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the purported assaults had taken place.
Following the court proceedings in December, Kent expressed to reporters that the case had incurred significant costs and labeled it a “major setback,” acknowledging the considerable harm to his reputation.
