James Packer, David Gyngell in fistfight outside media mogul's Bondi home

Updated

Gambling billionaire James Packer and Channel Nine chief executive David Gyngell have issued a joint statement regarding their public punch-up in Bondi, saying that they remain "friends".

"We have been friends for 35 years and still are," read the statement released via Channel Nine.

"In that time we have had our fair share of ups and downs.

"We respect each other and neither of us will be commenting further."

The pair came to blows outside Mr Packer's waterfront home on Sunday afternoon, with one witness describing the men as "fighting like dogs" in the street.

A neighbour has told the ABC that Mr Gyngell was waiting outside the building and had a profanity-laden phone conversation before Mr Packer pulled up, got out of his car and threw the first punch.

Chris Walker, who says he lives nearby, says he saw the fight and posted about it on Facebook.

"Holy crap, big street fight outside my house ... Not thugs, James Packer ... And some other angry bloke going toe to toe - total brawl ... Wow," he said.

Further down in his post he went into more detail, saying: "Packer packered (sic) a punch but copped a couple of hits straight to the jaw... Then they all fell on the concrete fence and I think the other guy broke his face ... They were looking for teeth after he left ... I was so thrilled, with a camera in my hand I didn't take a pic"

Yesterday, a large media contingent gathered outside Mr Packer's house, where Mr Gyngell was said to have visited in the morning.

Media mogul Lachlan Murdoch arrived at Mr Packer's home yesterday afternoon and spent nearly two hours inside.

News Corp has published photos of the fight after having reportedly paid $200,000 for them.

Some of the photos are said to show Mr Packer on the ground choking Mr Gyngell.

It is not yet clear what the fight was about.

Nine Entertainment Co. Holdings is the owner of the Nine network, one of the nation's largest broadcasters.

Mr Packer has a stake in rival Ten Network Holdings, although the fight was not believed to be connected to businesses.

The pair attended the same school and are former flatmates, and Mr Gyngell was best man at Mr Packer's wedding to his second wife, Erica.

A witness told Network Ten he heard Mr Gyngell yelling on a phone that he was waiting for Mr Packer, who arrived home soon after.

No words were exchanged as the two "went at it hammer and tongs", Ten said, citing the witness.

The fight had to be broken up by Mr Packer's security guards and a limo driver.

ABC/wires

Topics: television, business-economics-and-finance, gambling, bondi-2026

First posted