Pauline Hanson has fired back at Robert Irwin telling him to ‘lighten up’ after he sent a cease and desist letter to One Nation over its use of his image in a cartoon.
Ms Hanson’s ‘Please Explain’ animated video series featured a likeness of the youngest Irwin alongside famous cartoon dog Bluey in its latest episode on Friday.
The episode, titled ‘The State of Queensland‘, satirically depicts Irwin and Bluey exploring the state after the pair were unveiled as the faces of its new tourism campaign.
However, just hours after the video was published, FC Lawyers on behalf of Irwin sent a cease and desist letter to StepMates Studios, the series’ production team.
Ms Hanson has now hit back at the letter by asking how her cartoon defamed Irwin and insisting that he should find it funny.
‘Lighten up mate, your father was a larrikin, an icon to Australia and the world and he would have had a good laugh,’ she said, reports Newscorp.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has clapped back at Robert Irwin after he sent the party a cease and desist over its latest episode of ‘Please Explain’
The firebrand senator’s Youtube series featured an episode on Friday where Irwin and the ABC children’s cartoon character Bluey are satirically depicted (pictured)
Ms Hanson said One Nation intends to fight the lawsuit because the cartoon was not even about Irwin in the first place.
‘How is he going to argue defamation? It’s not about him it’s about the issues in Queensland,’ she said.
She also implied that he should be thankful to get make an appearance on the surprisingly popular web series.
‘I’ve got members of parliament asking me when they get to be in the cartoon, we have people pay to get in it, so I’ve given him a free kick,’ she said.
‘And [Irwin] wants to sue me over it.’
One Nation’s chief of staff, James Ashby, also confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the party would oppose the contents of the letter and have brought in defamation expert Sue Chrysanthou SC.
The letter from FC Lawyers’ Zoe Naylor to the animation studio’s founders, Mark Nicholson and Sebastian Peart, said their depiction of Irwin ‘constitutes defamation’.
Adding that the cartoon was an ‘unauthorised and deceptive use of our client’s image’, Ms Naylor demanded the studio remove the video from all platforms.
Irwin (pictured) sent legal letters to the production company behind Pauline Hanson’s cartoon within hours of its upload
Ms Hanson told Irwin to lighten up and take the matter as a joke like his father, legendary conservationist Steve Irwin, would have
In the episode, the enthusiastic Irwin character attempts to show Bluey all the positive things the Sunshine State has to offer.
But the pair are met with the very same problems residents there are struggling with everyday.
The duo at one point mistake a long queue at the famed Movie World theme park for a rental inspection, highlighting Queensland’s dire housing crisis.
They are also targeted by foul-mouthed delinquents who steal their vehicle and ‘bash’ Bluey.
When he is taken to hospital, they are told it will be a ‘six-month’ wait.
The episode ends with a downbeat Irwin, saying ‘I can’t believe this is the state of Queensland’.
Ms Hanson and One Nation chief of staff, James Ashby, told the younger Irwin to be more like his dad Steve who they claim ‘would have had a good laugh’ at the cartoon
The letter from Ms Naylor claims the cartoon ‘not only tarnished our client’s reputation but also misled the public, causing significant harm to our client’s brand and image’.
‘The unauthorised use of our client’s image in this context is particularly egregious, as it manipulates the truth and misrepresents our client’s personality, values, and beliefs.’
The lawyer demanded StepMates Studios to take down the cartoon from all social media platforms and elsewhere online.
Ms Naylor also ordered them to no longer portray Irwin in the future without permission.
They have until 5pm on Monday to meet the demands or the firm may escalate the issue to the Federal Court.
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