“The clear twisting of any words I use” - Rohan Dennis accuses media of creating ‘false narrative’ after Melissa Hoskins tragedy

Rohan Dennis has publicly pushed back against the way his role in the death of his wife, former Australian Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins, has been portrayed, accusing sections of the media of distorting his words and misrepresenting the circumstances of the incident.

In a lengthy statement posted on Instagram, the former world champion cyclist said the coverage that followed the tragedy had created a version of events he does not recognise, writing that there had been “the clear twisting of any words I use” and describing the reporting as a “false narrative”.

The statement comes more than a year after the incident in Adelaide that led to Hoskins’ death, following a domestic argument between the couple. Dennis later pleaded guilty to a charge of creating a likelihood of harm, with the court finding his actions had contributed to the circumstances that led to the fatal injuries, though he was not found criminally responsible for her death.

Dennis added: “Yes, it was an accident. I loved Melissa, and the last thing I ever wanted was to hurt her. Never in my life has any physical aggression crossed my mind in any disagreement with Melissa.”

Much of the statement focuses not on the incident itself, but on Dennis’ account of how he and his family were treated in the aftermath. He claims journalists approached him shortly after Hoskins’ funeral and made comments in front of his young child that he described as “disgusting”, including questions about how it felt knowing his children would grow up without their mother.

“They greeted me and my family at the airport not 24hrs after my wife’s funeral,” Dennis wrote, before adding that some of the remarks made in front of his daughter were unacceptable.

He also alleges that members of the media followed his family and tracked their movements, saying this had placed his children in “stressful situations” despite public claims of concern for their well-being. “They happily stalk, follow and harass not just adults in my family but even when the kids are involved,” he said.

At the centre of Dennis’ frustration is the suggestion that coverage of the case has framed him in a way he strongly rejects. “The narrative which the media ran with was clear — they wanted me to look like the husband who abused his wife,” he wrote, adding that he has “always been against any sort of abuse against women”.

He also pushed back on interpretations of the incident itself, stating that he never used a vehicle as a weapon and that this was not established in legal proceedings. “They know I never intentionally or unintentionally used a vehicle as a weapon. Never was it legally said that I did either,” Dennis said, adding that available footage supports his position.

During court proceedings, it was established that Hoskins had climbed onto the bonnet of the vehicle as Dennis attempted to leave the scene, before falling and sustaining fatal injuries. Prosecutors accepted that he had not intended to cause her death, but that his actions in driving the vehicle created a dangerous situation.

Dennis concluded by saying his intention in speaking publicly was to highlight both his own experience and that of his children, rather than to revisit the details of the incident itself. “This is simply to point out the false narrative which the media created about me for clicks,” he wrote.

He ended the statement with a direct message to journalists and media organisations, calling for privacy for his family moving forward. “Time for all you so called journalists and media outlets to back off and leave my family alone.”