Polarising Perth chef John Mountain, owner of Fyre Bar & Restaurant in Connolly, has issued a grovelling apology after using the term 'gang rape' in a social media post to describe a busy night at his venue. The controversial figure, known for his outspoken persona, posted a now-deleted video earlier this week promoting the weekend ahead.
Controversial comments spark outrage
In the video, Mountain said: 'Everybody is coming on Friday, oh my God, we’re going to get gang raped on Friday. Saturday is looking good, and we look forward to seeing you then. Don’t forget, be square or be vegan. Don’t be either, f... vegans.' When a follower criticised the graphic language, Mountain replied with 'Nine out of ten people agree w gang rape!' – a comment that has also since been deleted.
Backlash from activists and public
The remarks drew widespread condemnation online, with Australian journalist and activist Sherele Moody, known for her work on femicide and violence against women, calling out the comments. 'Don’t you love when business owners use “gang rape” in their marketing plan?' she posted. 'He says he has so many bookings this Friday that he’s going to be “gang raped”. When women pointed out this comment was .. well, you know what it is ... he doubled the f.. down with “nine out of 10 people agree w gang rape”. I would not cry if he lost all his bookings for this sh*t show!' The post amassed over 2,000 likes and more than 300 comments within hours, mostly critical of Mountain.
Mountain's apology and history of controversy
Mountain later uploaded an apology video, which he also removed. Speaking to PerthNow, he expressed remorse: 'There’s nothing f...ing funny about rape at all in any way, shape, or form. It was stupid kitchen asshole humour that was taken too far. I genuinely apologise. I didn’t mean for anybody to be offended. Please accept my apologies.' He acknowledged the severity of sexual assault, saying, 'All these poor women that have been subjected to any horrific bullying measures from verbal assault to full-on rape. I’m f…ing sorry. Men are assholes. I’m not a rapist. I don’t agree with gang rape. It was a stupid comment backed up with an even stupider answer.'
Mountain is no stranger to controversy. In 2023, he was involved in a high-profile dispute with vegan activist Tash Peterson after declaring all vegans banned from his restaurant. The conflict escalated to him seeking a Violence Restraining Order against her following protests at his venue.
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