Former professional cyclist Rohan Dennis has spoken publicly for the first time about the death of his wife Melissa Hoskins, saying he and his children have since been “harassed” and “stalked” by the media.
Ms Hoskins died in December 2023 after being struck by a car driven by Dennis, who later plead guilty to an aggravated charge of creating likelihood of harm.Â
In May 2025, he was given a suspended sentence and banned from driving for five years.Â
In sentencing last year, District Court Judge Ian Press said Dennis was not criminally responsible for causing Ms Hoskins’s death.
The court previously heard that the couple had argued over home renovations before Dennis got into his car on the night of the incident to leave their house so they could both calm down.
The court heard that Ms Hoskins jumped on the bonnet of Dennis’s car in an attempt to stop him leaving during an argument and that Dennis continued driving down the lane for about 75 metres.
“It was your obligation to stop the vehicle when driving that vehicle became dangerous to her physical wellbeing,” Judge Press said during sentencing.
“That you did not stop because you wanted to leave is a very poor reason for not doing so.”
In a public post on social media on Monday night, Dennis said the death of his late wife “was an accident” and that he “loved Melissa and the last thing I ever wanted was to hurt her”.
“Never in my life has any physical aggression crossed my mind in any disagreement with Melissa,” he wrote.
“The narrative which the media ran with was clear they wanted me to look like the husband who abused his wife.
“I have always been against any sort of abuse against women and especially the one who gave birth to my children.”
Melissa Hoskins died in December 2023. (Facebook: AusCycling)
Dennis said he wanted to point out what he called a “false narrative which the media created” about him “for clicks” and described an interaction with members of the media at the airport the day after Ms Hoskins’s funeral.
“The thing which I and others vividly remember that were said to me in front of my two-year-old daughter are disgusting,” he said.
“The media speak about the children and how saddened they are for the children. Yet they happily stalk, follow and harass not just adults in my family but even when the kids are involved.”
It is the first time Dennis has spoken publicly about his wife’s death, aside from an apology letter that he wrote that was read out in court.
Post follows social media post and messages to ABC NewsÂ
Last month, the ABC reported a post Dennis had put on social media with a car with the caption “what an absolute weapon”.Â
While the car was not the same car involved in the incident with his late wife, Victims Rights Commissioner Sarah Quick described the post as “deeply offensive”.
A screenshot of an Instagram post by Rohan Dennis. (Supplied: Instagram)
At the time, ABC News reached out to Dennis with questions regarding the post, but he did not respond.
A week after reaching out to him, Dennis has privately messaged the ABC on multiple occasions, forwarding videos criticising the organisation.Â
“Absolute disgrace and your whole organisation needs to be shut down, cleaned out and held accountable for all the lies and misinformation you put out,” he said.Â
The Instagram post Rohan Dennis shared last month. (Instagram: Rohan Dennis)