Stars applaud column defending DWTS Chrystal Chenery

Rose Matafeo, Matilda Rice and Hayley Holt all support Chrystal Chenery and Alex Casey's column.

A column defending Dancing With the Stars runner-up Chrystal Chenery has earned the support of some of the country's biggest stars.

The Spinoff writer Alex Casey wrote the piece "In defence of Chrystal Chenery" yesterday, praising the reality star for rejecting radio host Dom Harvey's apology and standing up for herself.

Chenery and Harvey became embroiled in a feud this week, after the radio presenter posted an unsavoury photo of the DWTS competitor across social media.

He later removed the post and apologised for his actions.

"The fact that Chrystal has not accepted Dom's apology feels like a watershed moment. For so long he has offended so many people, scooching by with a mild apology and so many bosses turning a blind eye that every suit at MediaWorks must need a seeing-eye dog by now," she wrote.

• Read the full column here

She says the incident has revealed something far bigger and more concerning than a spat between to public figures.

"This feud has become a deeply troubling representation of the hatred towards women who stand up for themselves, and wish to protect and defend their rights to their own bodies," she wrote.

The column has been linked to and shared by dozens of people, including Hayley Holt, Rose Matafeo and Matilda Rice.

Broadcasters Noelle McCarthy, David Farrier and Jesse Mulligan also praised the piece, with Mulligan saying he "fist pumped" after reading it.

DWTS judge Hayley Holt linked to the post, writing: "Great article, the struggle is real!"

While Rice posted: "WOW that article - so perfectly said."

@alexkc @TheSpinoffTV @chrystalchenery Great article, the struggle is real!

— Hayley Holt (@theHoltBolt) July 22, 2015

Fellow MediaWorks employee Rose Matafeo also came out swinging in support, writing: "My friend Alex articulates exactly why Dom is a piece of s*** in the most intelligent and funny way possible".

my friend @alexkc articulates exactly why dom is a piece of shit in the most intelligent and funny way possible http://t.co/ZSfXm0QzLC

— Rose Matafeo (@Rose_Matafeo) July 22, 2015

Casey said she was driven to write the opinion piece after reading comments on Chenery's Facebook page.

She said she was in "a cold sweat" over the abusive remarks and felt compelled to defend the former Bachelor contestant.

It has become the most-read article in The Spinoff's history and has been shared more than 8,000 times on Facebook.

- nzherald.co.nz