A lockdown-hating powerlifter accused of ignoring lockdown restrictions by keeping his gym open has lashed out at a reporter who tried to ask why he thinks he is above government-mandated health orders.
Self-proclaimed satanist Rhyss Keane appeared happy to sit down and speak with A Current Affair journalist Steve Marshall on Monday night’s program about his decision to keep the doors of his ‘dungeon of strength’ open to the public.
All gyms in Greater Sydney, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast have been ordered to close until at least July 30 to curb the growing outbreak in the city – which ballooned by 97 cases on Monday.
But the 31-year-old, who moonlights as an OnlyFans porn star, has refused to comply and kept his Central Coast business open, claiming that people ‘are not dying’ from Covid-19 – despite 914 virus-related deaths reported in Australia since last year.
Donning an akubra, blazer, short shorts, sneakers and a welcoming smile, Mr Keane set up a leopard-print armchair outside White Horse Powerlifting gym in Gosford, on the NSW Central Coast, and offered the veteran host an ottoman.
Pictured: Steve Marshall holding his hand up defensively as Rhyss Keane unleashed his rage
Pictured: Steve Marshall and Rhyss Keane engaged in an altercation outside the gym, after Mr Keane was asked why his gym is open during lockdown
Ten seconds later, the heavily tattooed man lost his cool when he was asked: ‘Don’t you think you’re putting people’s health and safety at risk? When everyone else is doing the right thing?’
Mr Keane’s eyes twitched behind his sunglasses as he pondered the questions for a few moment, before he decided to resolve the situation with threats of violence.
‘Is that so?’ he asked, rising from his animal-print throne.
Pictured: Mr Keane with a bottle of bourbon and a box of KFC outside his ‘dungeon of strength’
Rhyss Keane married his sweetheart just 24 hours after a 17-year-old former client came forward on national television to accuse him of cheating on his partner in 2017
‘Stand up, like a man, let’s go,’ he continued, rising above Mr Marshall – who seemed very confused.
‘What do you mean?’ the reporter asked.
‘Stand up,’ Mr Keane instructed, before he accused Mr Marshall of being hostile.
‘Stand up like a man,’ he commanded again.
The journalist put his arms over his face protectively and tried to deescalate the situation, but the powerlifting father-to-be was brimming with rage.
Rhyss Keane denied that people in Australia were dying from Covid while speaking with A Current Affair
The gym owner (pictured) continued to shout profanities at the host, who repeatedly explained that he was leaving the scene
‘F*** you! Get the f*** away now, or I will sort you out,’ he bellowed – marching across the grass towards a hesitant Mr Marshall, who was backing away with his arms raised.
The gym owner continued to shout profanities at the host, who repeatedly explained that he was leaving the scene.
As the camera crew tried to escape the situation, Mr Keane started opening up.
‘I got a baby coming in 10 days – do you think I get any government assistance?’ he said, before he turned on Mr Marshall and yelled ‘you get paid to do this s***, don’t you?’
Mr Keane has posted a number of photos of himself with a range of others inside the gym during lockdown
Mr Keane (centre) said he doesn’t agree with lockdown because it’s bad for small businesses
The federal government has offered payments for eligible business owners and employees who have lost work during the lockdowns.
Earlier in the interview, before Mr Keane went rogue, he explained that he ‘doesn’t agree’ with lockdowns because they cripple small businesses.
In a subsequent Instagram post, Mr Keane explained he keeps the gym open predominately because ‘mental health and physical health of my members is of utmost importance to me’.
‘I have people who work for me that also need to feed their families. My business doesn’t receive a cent of government support during lockdowns either so I’m making sure I can pay the bills too,’ he wrote.
‘Easy for these smug pricks to come down and ask these questions while they are paid to ambush people for trying to run a business.’
Police told Daily Mail Australia they attended the gym at 10.30am on Friday and fined a 31-year-old man, believed to be Mr Keane, with a $1,000 fine for failing to comply with public health orders.
Last Wednesday, police saw a man inside a Wyoming gym with two others and issued each a $1,000 fine for breaching public health orders.
Mr Keane claimed two staff members were inside the gym to move equipment to take outside for people to train, and pledged to fight his fine in court, according to the ABC.
Mr Keane claimed two staff members were inside the gym to move equipment to take outside for people to train
In one video, Mr Keane said he wouldn’t stop clients from wearing face masks, but would give them ‘s***’ if they chose to
He also denied that anyone else was fined, and said he was trying to follow the government directives as best he could.
In one video, Mr Keane said he wouldn’t stop clients from wearing face masks, but would give them ‘s***’ if they chose to.
A photo showed Mr Keane with eight others inside a gym, holding his middle finger up, with the caption: ‘F*** a lock down, we are outlaws now. Crazy to think that in 2021 in NSW I could be arrested for opening my gym’.
In 2017, the powerlifter was accused of seducing a 17-year-old girl at a Christian gym.
A teenager, who used the fake name Jade to protect her identity, told A Current Affair in 2017 that Keane was ‘really manipulative and controlling’ toward her.
She was one of three people to make disturbing allegations against the professional weightlifter.
Keane confessed he has struggled with poor mental health in the past, and he considers his ‘physical outlet’ of powerlifting key to his survival
Keane is currently ranked seventh of all time in the U140KG weight division, and boasts more than 15 years experience as an athlete and a coach
In particular, they all claimed that he seduced them while working as their coach, sent them sexually explicit messages and pictures, and had sex with them behind his fiancee’s back.
‘He would ask me to press against his groin region, it was really manipulative and sort of controlling,’ Jade said.
Although the social media celebrity was once a god-worshiping devotee of the church, he now refers to himself as a satanist.
‘I was going through a pretty rough stage in my life and I was encouraged to go to church. It wasn’t for me I don’t need a god to be a good person,’ Keane said.
Keane’s hedonistic outlook on life has led him to the world of online porn producing, where he performs under the Only Fans user tag Satanic Majesty
‘Christianity conveys that anything we feel is bad, it’s the opposite with satanism. It is about embracing humanity.
‘If you want something in life, don’t wait for it, don’t pray for it, go get it yourself.’
This hedonistic outlook on life has led Keane to the world of online porn producing, where he performs under the Only Fans user tag Satanic Majesty.
‘We are just human beings. There is a big stigma attached to it, but it’s 2020, there shouldn’t be,’ he said.
‘I have no problem with my body, I have no problem with people seeing my body.
‘I think there is nothing wrong with using your body to make some money. It doesn’t hurt anybody.’