Why did Jacob Elordi allegedly assault a radio producer in Australia?

There’s no denying that Jacob Elordi is enjoying a hot streak at the moment. After starring roles in buzzy films like Saltburn and Priscilla, the Australian actor has ridden a wave of critical acclaim, with two BAFTA nominations to his name and future roles in starry titles like Guillermo del Toro’s Dr. Frankenstein. Now, at the height of his popularity, Elordi has evidently succumbed to… a joke about a bathtub?

Elordi has grabbed headlines this week after news broke that he was involved in a physical altercation in his hometown of Sydney, Australia. The incident, which allegedly took place on February 3, revolves around one of the more eyebrow-raising moments of his role as Felix in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn (eyebrow-raising might be putting it lightly). So, why exactly did Jacob Elordi allegedly assault a radio producer in Australia?

Why did Jacob Elordi allegedly assault a radio producer in Australia?

As first reported by The Daily Telegraph, Elordi was in attendance at a hotel in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, Australia, when the alleged incident took place. The Euphoria star was reportedly approached by Joshua Fox, a producer for the hit Australian radio show The Kyle & Jackie O Show on KISS FM. 

Fox, who later shared his account of the altercation on the air, recorded Elordi and asked if he could have some of his bathwater to gift Jackie O for her birthday the following Monday (February 5). For those who read that as some kind of hygiene riddle, Fox’s comment was in reference to the Saltburn scene in which Elordi’s character is enjoying some *private time* in the bath, after which Barry Keoghan’s Oliver slurps the remaining water in a state of pure infatuation. 

The Saltburn moment — now dubbed the infamous “bathtub scene” — promptly went viral on social media. While one could argue it was perhaps one of the less intense Saltburn scenes (we won’t even mention the graveyard), it was buzzy enough to make co-star Rosamund Pike hold a bathwater-scented candle to the Golden Globes red carpet (we imagine it smells like Rose-amunds). 

In any case, Fox’s comment seemingly ruffled Elordi’s feathers to the point where he asked the radio producer to stop filming him and delete the recording, at which point the situation escalated. Fox said he refused to delete the video and felt uncomfortable, causing Elordi to “flip” and push him against a wall. The producer alleged that Elordi’s hands were around his throat. 

In their statement, the New South Wales Police said they were investigating the matter, and that Fox did not sustain any injuries. While the police’s inquiries are still continuing, Elordi himself has not yet responded to the allegation. All of it makes one thing clear: never take an actor away from his precious bathtub.