There are bad PR moves, there are tone-deaf social media posts, and then there is whatever the hell Rohan Dennis just did on Instagram.
The former Olympic cyclist, who just 10 months ago avoided prison time and received a 17-month suspended sentence regarding the death of his wife, Melissa Hoskins, decided to return to social media this week. And he did so in the most offensive, or perhaps just stupid, way imaginable.
“An Absolute Weapon”
In December 2023, Hoskins—a wildly accomplished World and Olympic cyclist in her own right—was fatally struck by a car driven by Dennis outside their home in Adelaide. Dennis later pleaded guilty to an aggravated act likely to cause harm, admitting to driving the vehicle while Hoskins held onto the door handle before falling.
He hadn’t posted on social media since before the fatal incident. But on Wednesday evening, Dennis broke his silence by posting a photo of a black Porsche to his Instagram story with the caption: “What an absolute weapon.” Let that sink in for a moment. A man whose reckless driving directly resulted in the death of his wife, who was dragged down a street by his accelerating car, decided that his grand return to public life should involve posting a photo of a motor vehicle and calling it a “weapon.”
Doubling Down on the Disgrace
The backlash was immediate, and entirely justified. South Australia’s commissioner for victims’ rights, Sarah Quick, publicly called the post “deeply offensive,” noting it demonstrated a “profound lack of respect for Melissa and her family.”
Instead of immediately realizing his horrifying lapse in judgment, issuing an apology, and disappearing back into obscurity, Dennis actively doubled down. On Thursday, he posted a photo of his two children riding bikes with the caption “Two absolute weapons.” He then posted a screenshot doxing a journalist who had reached out for comment, labeling the reporter a “rat.”
During his sentencing last May, the judge noted that Dennis’s “stoic presentation does not necessarily mean you do not feel a sense of guilt.” If this week’s social media activity is any indication of his internal emotional state, the cycling community has every right to be thoroughly disgusted.
