NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Israel Folau has hit out over the ugly attacks levelled at Magda Szubanski

By Paul Johnson
news.com.au·
30 Jun, 2019 09:01 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Magda Szubanski and Israel Folau have reached a truce. Photos / Getty Images, Photosport

Magda Szubanski and Israel Folau have reached a truce. Photos / Getty Images, Photosport

There might be hope yet for Israel Folau and Rugby Australia as it seems he and prominent gay rights activist Magda Szubanski have buried the hatchet.

Folau unexpectedly came to the defence of Szubanski on Sunday as he tweeted for the attacks against her to stop.

"Hey everyone I totally agree with @bairdjulia — please stop the anonymous online attacks on @MagdaSzubanski who has entered this debate very respectfully," Folau wrote.

"She is entitled to express her views — let's all have this important discussion with love in our hearts."

Hey everyone I totally agree with @bairdjulia - please stop the anonymous online attacks on @MagdaSzubanski who has entered this debate very respectfully. She is entitled to express her views - let’s all have this important discussion with love in our hearts.

— Israel Folau (@IzzyFolau) June 30, 2019
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Julia Baird called out the "ugly hate campaign" against Szubanski who has dealt with a constant stream of Twitter trolls since announcing a rival GoFundMe called "For Love".

If indeed anyone considers Magda to be an enemy, which makes no sense. She has consistently, courageously spoken for the rights and welfare of her own community, not against anyone else's.

— Julia Baird (@bairdjulia) June 29, 2019

Szubanski launched the rival campaign in response to the Folau saga.

Speaking on The Project last Tuesday evening, Szubanski said she hopes to raise $500,000 for charity through the multi-faith initiative.

"Some friends and I had a feeling — I can't believe I'm up here talking about this stuff again. I would love to leave this subject behind," Szubanksi said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"We would like to have a response to Israel Folau that's not combative. It's an interfaith group, it's comprised of Catholics, Muslims, Jews, atheists and LGBTQI people and we've started a GoFundMe called "For Love".

"We hope to raise $500,000, 10 per cent of which will go to Twenty10 which is an organisation I'm the patron of. It works a lot with kids often from diverse backgrounds who are kicked out of home because of, you know, basically because of their sexuality."

Szubanski said she had reached out to Folau to have a conversation but received no response.

"I'd love to have a conversation with him, I've made that offer on Twitter and nothing ever happened, but we have got this GoFundMe campaign happening," she told the panel.

Discover more

Sport

'High stakes': Comment that could turn Israel Folau case

01 Jul 08:07 AM
Sport

Crisis over Folau sacking widens

02 Jul 01:11 AM
Sport|rugby

'Not the Izzy I know': Old mates struggling to recognise new Folau

04 Jul 02:11 AM

Magda starts her own GoFundMe to support the Children’s Cancer Foundation, and Twenty10, which provides health, legal, and housing services to people of diverse sexualities and gender identities. #TheProjectTV Click the link- https://t.co/83TrTDTobT pic.twitter.com/MQUct1qpr6

— The Project (@theprojecttv) June 25, 2019

On Sunday night, Szubanksi herself tweeted out a hope that any attacks directed at Folau and his wife Maria would also stop.

"Thank you Israel Folau I hope the same for you and your wife Maria," the entertainer tweeted.

Thank you Israel Folau I hope the same for you and your wife Maria 🙏🏻 Israel Folau, Magda Szubanski: GoFundMe, online attacks, Rugby Australia https://t.co/URpYZ1OHHd

— Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) June 30, 2019

Folau had been in church earlier today at The Truth Of Jesus Christ Church in Kenthurst and again delivered a sermon.

The former Rugby star once again repeated his claim for sinners to repent from their evil ways but stopped short of making any comments on homosexuality, after last month preaching about gay and transgender children.

Folau spoke about "spiritual warfare" and called for parishioners to turn to God.

"The key to salvation, it states in Acts 2: 38 it says repent, repent meaning change, turn away from your evil ways," Folau said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"God doesn't matter about how bad your lifestyle is — how evil you might think it is, he doesn't look at the past if you come to the Lord with an open heart."

While Folau's speech to parishioners was fairly mild in comparison to his recent comments his pastor unloaded on those who are against Folau.

Assistant Pastor John Tupou hit out during his sermon and suggested his church is being disrespected.

"We do not fear anyone, we do not fear any man, we only fear our lord Jesus Christ," he said.

"We respect everyone but we are being disrespected in the media.

"We do not worry about who in the outside world is looking at us."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Herald NOW

Sydney Sweeney is turning her bathwater into soap

Herald NOW

PR founder and Business CEO on Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap

Entertainment

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

17 Jun 03:16 AM

Sponsored: Embrace the senses

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Sydney Sweeney is turning her bathwater into soap

Sydney Sweeney is turning her bathwater into soap

The latest entertainment news from NZ Herald Chief Lifestyle and Entertainment Reporter, Jenni Mortimer.

PR founder and Business CEO on Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap

PR founder and Business CEO on Sydney Sweeney's bathwater soap

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

‘I’ve been put up on the shelf’: Temuera Morrison laments Star Wars limbo

17 Jun 03:16 AM
Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

Justin Bieber reveals 'broken' state, admits to anger issues

17 Jun 01:08 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP