The Melbourne woman criticised for flaunting the city’s new exercise restrictions has spoken out, saying she thinks the backlash is all a bit of fun.
Speaking to the Herald Sun, Brighton resident Jodi Grollo says she had no idea her decision to walk around Melbourne’s Royal Botanical Gardens on Friday caused such a commotion.
Grollo said she missed the heated debate, owing to the fact she doesn’t use social media.
“To be honest, I found it funny – it made my weekend,” she added.
Grollo achieved minor notoriety on Friday after speaking to Nine News about Melbourne’s latest coronavirus precautions, which forbid residents from exercising outside of their immediate neighbourhood.
Sitting on a park bench some nine kilometres north of Brighton, Grollo told Nine News that “you get sick of walking the same streets.
“I’ve done all of Brighton.”
Grollo was labelled a ‘Karen’ on social media for her viewpoint, and the clip appeared to catch the attention of Premier Daniel Andrews, who used a Saturday press conference to remind Melburnians of the new rules.
“Whether you’re in Broadmeadows or Brighton, ‘stay at home’ means ‘stay at home,’” he said.
“And if walking your local streets is boring, well, being bored is much better than being in intensive care.”
Unbelievable scenes. @DanielAndrewsMP just 100% destroying Karen from Brighton. pic.twitter.com/Tlk7Iku2r2
— keegs (@keegs) July 18, 2020
When pressed on Andrews’ statement, Grollo seemed to turn those criticisms back on the premier.
“I’m providing people with some light entertainment to get them through the Dan-demic,” she said.
The Herald Sun also points out that Grollo is the daughter of hotel magnate Bruce Mathieson, who reportedly commanded a fortune of $870 million in 2019.
The Australian Financial Review states Grollo and her husband, Gianni Grollo, oversaw a further 408 pokies licenses as of 2019.
Good luck to everyone else, I guess.
