Radio star Kyle Sandilands was heckled by sovereign citizen protesters as he left court following the first hearing of his landmark $85 million legal fight against his former employer ARN.

Sandilands, dressed in a black suit and tie, on Friday commenced action in the Federal Court alleging that ARN – the parent company of KIIS FM – deliberately sabotaged his $100 million contract.

He claimed the blow-up with Jackie ‘O’ Henderson that led to his sacking could not constitute serious misconduct because such behaviour was encouraged by his employer.

At a case management hearing on Friday the shock jock’s barrister, Scott Robertson SC, said Sandilands’s case was ‘fairly confined’.

Mr Robertson said the matter would turn on whether a now-infamous exchange Sandilands had with Henderson on The Kyle & Jackie Show on February 20 amounted to ‘serious misconduct’.

Following the brief hearing, Sandilands was addressing the media outside court when he was heckled by a group of women yelling about ‘the constitution’ and by a man filming on his mobile phone.

+10
View gallery

Kyle Sandilands was addressing the media about his $85m lawsuit against ARN when he was confronted by a man yelling about Covid

+10
View gallery

Sandilands is seen and turning away smirking after he was confronted about his actions during Covid by a protester (holding mobile phone, over radio star’s left shoulder)

+10
View gallery

Sandilands claims the blow-up with Jackie ‘O’ Henderson that led to his sacking cannot constitute serious misconduct because such behaviour was encouraged by his employer

As Sandilands turned his attention to the man, he asked: ‘Are you guilty by association during the Covid times and the vaccine?’

A visibly baffled Sandilands said ‘we’ve got the loon brigade,’ turned around and walked away. ‘The bloke’s yelling about Covid, I don’t know what that is,’ he added.

The Daily Mail has established the man is sovereign citizen Rocco Avati, who posts on TikTok as Rocco Varty, and believes the Australian government is illegitimate.

Prior to the incident, Sandilands denied reports that he’d had conversations with Henderson.

‘Contrary to popular reporting, I haven’t spoken with Jackie,’ he told the assembled media.

He admitted he regretted what he said to her on February 20 – comments alleging that his co-host was ‘off with the fairies’ – which prompted Henderson to storm out and ARN to terminate his 10-year deal with the network.

Sandilands alleges ARN sacked him in a calculated attempt to exit the costly agreement after little more than 14 months.

Inside court, Mr Robertson said Sandilands was encouraged to engage in ‘robust’ behaviour on air and that his conversation with Henderson could not be deemed serious misconduct.