A major Australian TV network is being sued by the “master” of man who died after injecting silicone into his testicles, claiming that the talk show wrongly portrayed him for being responsible in his boyfriend’s death.
Dylan Hafertepen claims that current affairs talk show The Project portrayed him as “abusive, domineering and manipulative” in their news reports following the death of his ‘pup’, Tank, also known as Jack Chapman, in October 2018.
Tank was part of a sixtet of BDSM partners, who would play the submissive ‘pup’ role to a dominant ‘master’ Hafertepen, and as part of the relationship each pup would have to follow the master’s orders. Tank would often alter his body through body modifications and document these changes for his followers, hence his enlarged genitals with silicone. Sadly, Tank passed away from lung problems caused by a silicone embolism.
Hafertepen has now filed a defamation lawsuit against Network Ten in the Australian Federal Court, where he alleges he was mischaracterised and defamed for the sake of a sensationaliSed broadcast, which falsely accused him of being responsible for Jack’s death.
Accusing the TV network of “tricking [him] into giving an interview without informing him that it intended to publish the matter complained of and under false pretences”.
Tank’s death made international headlines and because of this Hafertepen lost his senior role at Google.
Tank’s mother, Linda Chapman, confronted Hafertepen at the scattering of his ashes, accusing him for her son’s death. “I believe with all my heart that you are wholly and solely responsible for my son’s death. I wish you were dead,” she told Hafertepen with the cameras rolling.
“You want to claim to love him? You abused him … You are the one responsible for Jack’s death. If he’d never met you, he’d be still alive, and he’d be home with me.
“Get out of my house, I hate you”.
Network Ten declined to comment on the case while it is before the courts. Hafertepen is seeking damages and for the story to be permanently removed from Network Ten‘s websites, while currently being sued for wrongful death by Tank’s mother.
Trees to celebrate Arbor Month