Ronnie Radke has once again landed in hot water—this time with authorities in Tasmania.
The Falling in Reverse frontman has been officially reported to Tasmania Police by Launceston City Council after unleashing two chaotic, profanity-laced videos on Instagram targeting local councillors, following community backlash over a photo taken with Mayor Matthew Garwood at the band’s recent Adelaide show.
This latest controversy adds to an already chaotic international tour for Radke, who was denied entry to the UK earlier this year due to past convictions.
How It Started: The Mayor’s Post
The saga began when Mayor Matthew Garwood, a known metalhead, attended Falling in Reverse’s Adelaide show and shared a photo with Radke at the meet and greet. His caption celebrated the encounter, referring to Radke as ‘one of the most controversial characters in my generation of the hard rock music scene’, and ended with a cryptic tease of a ‘new collab dropping 2026!’
The post didn’t sit well with everyone back home. Local backlash was swift, particularly from those aware of Radke’s criminal history—which includes past parole violations and a prison stint related to battery.
The Backlash: Concerns from the Community
Councillor Andrea Dawkins revealed she’d received messages from Launceston women who were unsettled by the mayor’s public alignment with Radke.
‘They are understandably perplexed why our mayor would stand in solidarity with a person convicted of parole violations associated with violence,’ Dawkins said.
The scrutiny prompted Garwood to walk back his post with a follow-up statement, clarifying that he’d attended as a private citizen—not as an official representative of Launceston—and that the experience was ‘about the music’, not an endorsement of Radke’s past.
Radke Goes on the Attack
That should have been the end of it—but in typical Ronnie fashion, it wasn’t.
Radke responded with two unhinged Instagram videos, posted over two consecutive days, in which he called out ABC News, councillors, and particularly Andrea Dawkins, with an escalating series of insults and threats.
In the first video, he slams ABC for reporting on the mayor’s photo, repeatedly referring to the outlet as ‘propaganda pieces of s**t’. He then shifts into a verbal tirade against Dawkins, mocking her appearance, denying past allegations, and threatening to expose private contact information.
‘Do you even know a single thing about me?… I boost your fking economy while your a lines your taxpayer dollars to buy a new house,’ Radke rants in one moment.
The second video posted the next morning doubled down, filled with further misogynistic insults directed at Dawkins. He repeatedly referred to her with slurs, called for councillors to ‘step down from office’, and implied that his followers should harass them.
Police Involvement
On Sunday morning, Pulse Tasmania confirmed that the Launceston City Council had formally referred Radke’s videos to Tasmania Police for review.
While no charges have been announced yet, the report escalates the fallout from a situation that began with a single meet and greet photo—and has since spiralled into international headlines.
Another Chapter in the Chaos
Radke is no stranger to controversy. In February, Falling in Reverse were forced to cancel their UK tour after the UK Home Office denied his entry visa. The fallout cost the band their spot at Nova Rock Festival, and led to an earlier wave of online backlash. [Read more about that saga here.]
And yet, despite the chaos—or perhaps because of it—Radke’s Australian shows have drawn massive crowds, with sold-out arenas, high-dollar merch sales, and fans lining up to meet the frontman at VIP events. But now, the aftermath of that tour is leaving real-world consequences in its wake.
Whether this latest storm dies down or drags Radke into legal territory remains to be seen. But one thing’s for sure—Ronnie Radke has brought the fire, and now it’s burning through Tasmania.
Watch: Ronnie Radke’s Instagram Videos
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