SBS presenter Yumi Stynes has spoken out about the harassment she experienced after an on-air spat with fellow broadcaster Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
The presenter said she was stalked by paparazzi outside her home and received death threats online after her television segment with Studio Ten panellist Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
In the segment which aired last month, Stynes told fellow panellist Kerri-Anne Kennerley she sounded racist after Kennerley questioned the motivations of Australia Day protesters.
Stynes said the abuse made her think twice about speaking out in public.
It's incredibly gross to experience.
"The next time I feel compelled to speak up I'll assess the price that I have to pay. Do I want a guy outside my house pointing a camera and me and kid? Do I want death threats over the internet?"
Stynes said the abuse made her feel scared and panicked.
"That is the way they keep us squashed down," she said.
"You feel scared and also sense of panic and kind of wanting to flee in whatever way you can."
Hutcheon asked if the abuse was "demotivating" for the sunny television personality and a barrier in her quest to do interesting work.
Stynes said it did create a 'slump' but said she hoped the controversy would fuel her to become a better ally to Indigenous women.
"You take the keys out the engine and you (can) slump down," she told Hutcheon.
"(But) I think the opposite happens. I think you get fired up. I feel like it's given me a huge fuel I will burn for years to come."
Yumi Stynes is the host of SBS documentary 'Is Australia Sexist?’ which is currently available on SBS On Demand.
