What high-profile married Queensland man dragged into extortion case is telling insiders about his alleged relationship - as state braces for decision to unmask him

By JOSEPH SCRIMSHIRE, SUBSCRIPTIONS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA Published: 04:23, 1 June 2026 | Updated: 04:23, 1 June 2026 A high-profile Queensland man has spent the last 48 hours drafting a public response in case his identity is revealed in relation to an alleged extortion case. This public figure's relationship with a woman is at the centre of an extortion with domestic violence charge being faced by another man who is currently on bail. The famous man is not accused of any crime and also was not a witness when the matter was heard in a Cairns court on Friday.  The accused man allegedly attempted to extort a woman over her relationship with the public figure, who is very well-known in Queensland and also married. A court-ordered gag has suppressed the identities of all three parties after the accused appeared in Cairns Magistrates' Court on Friday, facing an extortion charge in a domestic violence context. Police allege the man tried to pressure the woman for money based on claims she had a relationship with the prominent figure. On Friday, the court heard that the authenticity of the evidence of the relationship was not challenged, reports the ABC. The public figure, while not accused of wrongdoing, is understood to be speaking with insiders and planning for the eventual possibility that he could be publicly named. Being identified would inevitably lead to a great deal of press attention and social media commentary given his profile. The famous man cannot be named due to a court order, and he is not accused of wrongdoing The Daily Mail understands that, if unmasked, he will say that the situation relates to a relationship from years ago. He will stress that he is not involved in the alleged offence - and the Mail does not suggest otherwise. The famous man is also expected to make clear that, because it is an ongoing criminal proceeding, he will not be commenting further. The suspect in the case had previously been granted bail. Defence barrister Brydie Bilic told the court the 'authenticity of the evidence of the relationship was not challenged'. She said her client's original bail terms, put in place before Friday's hearing, were 'overarching'. 'There are concerns that it is designed to protect,' Ms Bilic told the court. 'There are some matters that go so far as to potentially constitute a gag order.' A court-ordered gag has suppressed the identities of all three parties related to the case (file)  Ms Bilic requested the non-publication order not include the high-profile person and added that he was not a witness in the case. She told the court that the alleged victim and the high-profile figure do not live together or even in the same area. She said she believed there was no evidence of easily available information that would link the two. 'His [the high-profile man] name arises in the factual context of the allegations, but that doesn't make him a party to the proceedings.' Cairns magistrate Gelma Meoli, however, ordered the names of the accused, the woman and the high-profile person all to be suppressed. The suspect's bail was extended with the matter adjourned to a later date. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.