Gemma O’Neill, the manager and best friend of Jackie ‘O’ Henderson, has revealed she stepped away from social media after suffering a devastating pregnancy loss.
The Sydney-based agency founder opened up in a raw episode of her podcast, Her Best Life, explaining she felt compelled to address speculation as to why she had disappeared from public view following a number of media reports about her business.
“The reality was that I was receiving a level of online abuse that was quite frankly disgusting and felt very scary, and so I made the decision to step back from my personal Instagram to protect my mental health while I was pregnant,” she said.
Watch the video above.
It was then she confirmed the sad news that she and her partner had lost their baby.
“Obviously, since then, I’ve been going through something very personal with the loss of a baby,” she continued.
She also added that her decision to to step back from social media, amid swirling reports about her business, was not any attempt to avoid the scrutiny.
“None of that has anything to do with me having something to hide. It was about me taking care of myself during a very difficult moment,” she continued.
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Elsewhere in the podcast episode, O’Neill explained that she wanted to touch on the “stories that you might have seen that have been written about me,” and pulled out her pre-prepared notes.
“To be honest, are, are pretty hurtful and in many parts, inaccurate, and I need to be clear here that there are legal reasons why I can’t go into detail, which is why I haven’t,” she continued.
“And it’s also why I won’t, but what I will say is this – I stand by my integrity, I stand by my work, and I stand by how I’ve conducted myself in business over a very long career.”
O’Neill had recently deleted her personal Instagram account, and some reports linked the move to the collapse of her business, Gemmie Agency.
The agency entered voluntary liquidation in November, reportedly owing $546,000.
O’Neill said it was “disappointing” that reporting on her situation had crossed a line, and felt more like “creating noise or even bullying.”
“I know who I am, the people who matter in my life know who I am, and that matters a lot more to me than a clickbait headline,” she said.
She added that she wasn’t going to talk any more about what was going on, but she wanted her followers to hear it directly from her.
“As I mentioned earlier on a personal note, given that I’m feeling a bit full of grief right now, I’m gonna take a little break from the podcast, which I really hope you guys can understand,” O’Neill continued.
“I just need to have a moment to process and heal, and I guess just let it all out.”
Despite the devastating situation she is processing, O’Neill said she is looking forward to her brand’s upcoming retreat, with Meghan Markle locked in as a special guest.
“I’m very much looking forward to interviewing Megan, Duchess of Sussex too,” she said.
“I have been in awe of how she handles all of the public scrutiny she receives as well, so there’s a lot that I wanna ask her.”
O’Neill was recently dragged into the ARN drama with Henderson and former KIIS FM co-host Kyle Sandilands after her walk-out led to the end of their radio show.
The podcast host is also Henderson’s manager, which meant she was thrust into the drama and there was speculation that the tense situation between Henderson and ARN and the legal case was also behind her social media silence.
Henderson filed a $82.25 million suit against ARN on Tuesday March 31.
A statement to shareholders shared via the ASX confirmed Jackie O had commenced legal proceedings against her former employer, alleging her termination from her KIIS FM radio show with Kyle Sandilands was against the Fair Work Act.
ARN said it disputed Henderson’s claims and will defend against the suit in court.
In part, the note said: “Ms Henderson sent a ‘Complaint Letter’ to CBC [ARN subsidiary Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation] which noted that Ms Henderson ‘cannot continue to work with Mr Kyle Sandilands’ and made psychosocial health and safety and bullying complaints in relation to the conduct of Mr Kyle Sandilands on and prior to 20 February 2026.”
The Red Nose Grief and Loss Support Line is available 24/7 for anyone affected by the loss of a pregnancy, stillbirth or death of a baby or child on 1300 308 307.
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