Former Married At First Sight NZ contestant Benjamin Blackwell has slammed The Edge radio host Dom Harvey for "bullying the shit out of him", leaving him "contemplating suicide".
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Blackwell, who appeared in the 2017 season of the show, took aim at Harvey on Instagram after he came to the defence of his Edge Breakfast co-host Megan Annear following a fat-shaming comment online.
"I think it's really nice that you've come out in support of your colleague Megan, who by all accounts was probably the most genuine person in your entire studio when I walked in there," Blackwell wrote.
Referencing an interview he did at The Edge during the publicity run for MAFS NZ, Blackwell said he'd had no sleep due to Harvey and "countless others" cyber-bullying him the previous night.
Blackwell, who refers to himself on social media as the 'Patron Saint of Shade', shared a series of tweets in which Harvey insulted his hairstyle, dubbed him a "c**t" and made a joke about a sex toy.
"A meme circulated by your colleague, insinuating I had some sort of dildo in my hotel the night of my wedding... I found humiliating and really quite homophobic," Blackwell wrote.
"You proceeded to ask me about it on air. I remember sitting in a café after that crying, shaking and begging my PR lady to let me go home.
"I remember getting home and contemplating suicide."
A spokesperson for MediaWorks, which broadcasts MAFS NZ and owns Newshub, says Harvey had been in touch directly with Blackwell in response to his comments, and didn't have anything further to add.
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Lifeline - 0800 543 354 or (09) 5222 999 within Auckland
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Depression Helpline - 0800 111 757
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