Celebrity

Harley Bonner blasts cancel culture after leaving Home and Away following COVID vaccine mandate

''Why is feeling offended suddenly the most unacceptable experience?''
Loading the player...

Harley Bonner has blasted cancel culture in an impassioned Instagram rant, one month after walking away from his role on Home and Away.

The soap star took to social media to say cancel culture, the phenomenon of ostracising people or companies that are offensive, is “the lamest of the lame”.

“Why would you waste time wishing someone didn’t exist purely because they said something that made you feel something perceived as negative? Because you’re ‘offended’ So? What then?” his post began.

Harley left Home and Away less than a year after joining the soap as Logan Bennett.

(Image: Seven)

“Why is feeling offended suddenly the most unacceptable experience? Better use of time would be asking yourself why it was possible for it to offend you in the first place.

“Take control of your damn experience. Wishing the stimulus away rather than addressing your own mental triggers is the laziest s–t ever.”

The 30-year-old then claimed the world needs to “screw its damn head back on”.

Harley is pictured with his former co-star Ethan Browne.

(Image: Instagram)

While Harley didn’t specify what prompted him to address cancel culture, the rant appears to have been sparked after leaving Home and Away, with reports suggesting he chose not to get vaccinated against COVID.

The actor, who is the son of Neighbours star Carla Bonner, confirmed he left the soap on January 11, writing on Instagram: “Thanks and love to you all. I’m very happy. Life’s good. Keep spreading the kindness.”

His departure from the soap in early January came quite suddenly, given that more seemed to be in store for Harley’s character Logan, who only came to the show in August of 2021.

Loading the player...

He had just begun a relationship with fellow character Mackenzie Booth, played by Emily Weir, and teaser trailers for the upcoming season showed a mysterious stranger, known to Logan, would be coming onto the show.

However, it is believed the role of Logan will not be recast.

Harley is now the second person, behind Sam Frost, to leave the show since Seven West Media introduced a COVID vaccination mandate on cast and crew.

An email was sent out last October by Director of Production, Andrew Backwell, which said the network would “only engage fully vaccinated presenters, cast, and crew”.

Related stories