Heartbreak High actor Chloé Hayden has shared an update after speaking to the CEO of Marvel Stadium over her allegations that the Melbourne venue’s staff were ableist towards her at a recent Harry Styles concert.
Hayden – who is autistic and portrayed the autistic character Quinni in last year’s Heartbreak High reboot – attended Styles’ concert at Marvel Stadium last Friday (February 24), but while there, alleged she’d been mistreated by venue staff when she tried to access its sensory room. She claimed in a tweet that staff at the stadium denied her entry to the space, which is curated for regulating sensory overstimulation, because she didn’t “look autistic enough to access it”.
The day after the concert (February 25), Hayden claimed she’d since received “over 50 messages from people who were denied access and support, humiliated and hurt thanks to Marvel Stadium’s ableism and discrimination”. She assured supporters that she was “doing everything in my power to fix this”, which included “starting and ensuring conversations are had”.
Hayden went on to confirm that she’d organised a meeting with staff at Marvel Stadium yesterday (February 27), which appears to have been beneficial: “I’ve spoken with the CEO of Marvel Stadium and we’ve discussed steps forward,” she wrote in a new tweet shared this morning (February 28).
The actor said that “a second sensory room is being built” at Marvel Stadium – one of her initial complaints addressed the venue’s 12-person capacity for its existing sensory room, despite 16.5 per cent of the population having sensory processing challenges – and that the venue’s team have “committed to retraining their staff”.
“I plan on keeping them accountable for both,” Hayden continued. “Don’t you ever say that raising your voice is futile.”
I’ve spoken with the CEO of Marvel Stadium and we’ve discussed steps forward.
A second sensory room is being built, and they have committed to retraining their staff.
I plan on keeping them accountable for both.
Don’t you ever say that raising your voice is futile.
— 🌻 c h l o é h a y d e n 🌻 (@chloeshayden) February 27, 2023
In a follow-up tweet, Hayden encouraged “everyone with stories of poor disability access and discrimination” at Marvel Stadium to reach out to the venue directly – via the email address reception.msl@afl.com.au – “so they can hear as many stories as possible and continue to gain knowledge to educate and change for a better future”.
In closing, Hayden said she’d be taking a step back from the situation: “The last few days have taken an immense toll. It is now my time to step back, breathe, and advocate for myself, too. I will never stop fighting. I will never not be thankful for having an army to fight it with me. I will not be making any more comments to the media.”
Following Hayden’s initial complaints, Marvel Stadium spokesperson Jay Allen said in a statement to the ABC that “while we sometimes experience capacity issues at major events, we still aim to provide a positive and caring experience for all patrons needing to find a quiet place”.
Allen apologised for the “hurt and inconvenience” that attendees had experienced at Styles’ concert, and said he was “extremely disappointed” to learn that fans could not access the sensory room.
NME has contacted Marvel Stadium for further comment.
Hayden is expected to appear in the upcoming second season of Heartbreak High, following Netflix’s renewal of the series last October. She has long been a champion of autism activism, having appeared at a public hearing of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.
The actor – whose Heartbreak High character marked the first time a neurodivergent role has been played by a neurodivergent actor on Australian TV – has also spoken of the need for “autistic people in front of the camera”.
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