Channel 10’s The Project has thrown shade on US social media star Samantha Jones after the controversial influencer pulled out of a planned interview at the last minute on Sunday.
Jones, real name Sam Strable, hit the headlines last week after she shared video of herself taking a baby wombat away from its distressed mother while on a trip Down Under.
After leaving Australia amid a storm of protest, including a criticism from PM Anthony Alabanese, Strable has used her platform to plead that was ‘truly sorry’ for her behaviour – while claiming she had received thousands of death threats.
The 24-year-old issued a 900 word statement on her Instagram as well as shared a video in order to explain herself.
But in a second, dramatically worded statement, Strable lashed out at Australians and accused them of hypocrisy claiming that wombats ‘can be’ culled.
The Project host Hamish Macdonald reviewed the Strable ‘wombat’ controversy telling viewers that they had planned to interview the influencer.
Channel 10’s The Project has thrown shade on US social media star Sam Strable (pictured) after the controversial influencer pulled out of a planned interview at the last minute on Sunday
After leaving Australia amid a storm of protest, including a criticism from PM Anthony Alabanese, Strable has used her platform to plead that was ‘truly sorry’ for her behaviour – while claiming she had received thousands of death threats. Pictured: The Project hosts Hamish Macdonald and Sarah Harris
But instead, he said, Strable had provided an ‘exclusive’ video to the program.
Wearing a plain green top and no make up Strable can be seen telling viewers that her actions were: ‘An incredible mistake and there hasn’t been a moment where I haven’t regretted.’
The Project also shared a different part of Strable’s interview in which she says: ‘The same government that has been calling for my head is the one that spends millions of your tax dollars slaughtering Australian animals.’
‘I think frankly its pathetic given what happened and obviously no one condones violence or threats of violence or any that have have been thrown her way,’ Macdonald said after playing Strable’s video.
He continued: ‘But honestly to say you are genuinely sorry but not be willing to explain yourself and [then] point the finger at The Australian government is pretty lousy.’
Co-host Sarah Harris said she thought the influencer’s apology was ‘infuriating’ and said that Strable’s claims about the Australian government ‘allowing’ wombats to be slaughtered were ‘untrue’.
Harris said that wombats are protected but individuals can apply for permits to ‘control’ wombats under circumstances such as when they impact structures.
The Project host Hamish Macdonald reviewed the Strable ‘wombat’ controversy telling viewers that they had planned to interview the influencer – who instead offered the program an ‘exclusive’ video. Pictured: Strable in the segment screened on The Project on Sunday. Macdonald later called the video ‘pathetic’
Harris (right) said she thought the influencer’s apology was ‘infuriating’ and said that Jones’ claims about the Australian government ‘allowing’ wombats to be slaughtered were ‘untrue’
Harris also added: ‘But you get penalty for up to 40 grand plus and two years in prison [for killing wombats]. [Jones’s] statement is riddled with misinformation.’
Mcdonald said that Strable was a ‘typical’ influencer wanting to make their statement and taking ‘no responsibility or accountability’.
He continued: ‘The reality is there’s been a strong public response. I think Australians are proud of their wild life.
‘And we do have land management practices that do occur but there are huge penalties if you slaughter native wildlife or mistreatment them and this individual has heard loudly and clearly from the Australian population.’
It comes after Strable, who describes herself as a ‘wildlife biologist and environmental scientist’, was filmed grabbing a wild baby wombat and temporarily separating it from its distressed mother.
The well-known hunter shared the since-deleted video to her Instagram account on Tuesday.
Strable captured the juvenile wombat from the side of an unidentified road.
The footage showed her running towards her car with the joey swinging in her arms.
Strable describes herself as a ‘wildlife biologist and environmental scientist’
Its mother was seen desperately chasing Strable while an Australian man laughed as he filmed the scene.
‘I caught a baby wombat,’ Strable said as the joey shrieked and wiggled trying to free itself from her grasp.
‘Okay, mum is right there and she is pissed.
‘Let’s let him go.’ She was later seen releasing it.
The Instagram post received a barrage of backlash, with social media users reporting the video under ‘animal abuse’.
Strable initially defended her actions, claiming she did not harm the joey and only held it for one minute.
‘For everyone that’s worried and unhappy, the baby was carefully held for ONE minute in total and then released back to mum,’ she wrote.
‘They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. I didn’t think I would be able to catch it in the first place, and took an opportunity to appreciate a really incredible animal up close.
Strable’s online presence is largely populated with images of her posing with animal carcasses she claims to have hunted
‘I don’t ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Strable for comment.
Outraged Aussies continued to flood her social media platforms with negative comments, prompting Strable to switch her accounts to private.
Despite her attempt to remove the video from social media, other users preserved and shared it on both Reddit and TikTok.
Other social media users called for her to be reported to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water and deported back to the US and her home state of Montana.
‘Hope she gets the maximum punishment for f***ing with wildlife’, one user said while another chimed in: ‘Arrest. Fine. Deport. Ban.’
Strable’s online presence is largely populated with images of her posing with animal carcasses she claims to have hunted.
Government sources revealed on Friday she has departed Australia, and is now believed to be on her way back to the US.
‘There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,’ Immigration Minister Tony Burke told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.
The wombat stunt infuriated Australians, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who urged the influencer to try her luck with some other Australian animals.
‘Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there,’ Mr Albanese said on Thursday.
‘Take another animal that can actually fight back rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother.’
The federal government began working to deport her after wildlife service WIRES said Strable had violated Australia’s biosecurity and animal welfare laws, but she jumped before being pushed.
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