Tank Hafertepen, also known as Jack Chapman, died in October 2018 after injecting his genitals with silicone (tankhafertepen.com)

The boyfriend of Tank Hafertepen, a BDSM ‘pup’ who died from injecting silicone into his testicles, is suing a major Australian TV network for defamation.

Dylan Hafertepen claimed he was portrayed as “abusive, domineering and manipulative” in a Network Ten news reports following the death of Tank, also known as Jack Chapman, in October 2018.

Hafertepen acted as a dominant ‘master’ to a sixtet of five BDSM partners that included Tank, who played the role of a submissive ‘pup’. As part of the relationship each pup had to follow Hafertepen’s orders.

To stay in the group, Tank altered his body shape and enlarged his genitals with silicone, documenting the changes to his online followers. Sadly, Tank later died from lung problems caused by a silicone embolism.

Tank’s mother Linda Chapman holds Hafertepen responsible for her son’s death and confronted him at the scattering of Tank’s ashes.

“I believe with all my heart that you are wholly and solely responsible for my son’s death. I wish you were dead,” she told Hafertepen with the cameras rolling. “Get out of my house, I hate you.”

The story of Hank’s death made headlines around the world and caused Hafertepen to lose his senior role at Google.

He has now filed a defamation lawsuit against Network Ten in the Australian Federal Court – while he himself is currently being sued for wrongful death by Tank’s mother.

In court documents seen by Buzzfeed News, Hafertepen alleges he was defamed by the “over-sensationalised” broadcast, which falsely accused him of being responsible for Jack’s death.

He claims the broadcast suggested he was abusive towards Tank; that he forced Tank to leave everything to him in a will “three weeks before [his] suspicious death”; and that he caused Tank’s death by giving him silicone to be injected into his testicles.

He further accuses Network Ten of “tricking [him] into giving an interview without informing him that it intended to publish the matter complained of and under false pretences”.

Hafertepen is seeking damages and for the story to be permanently removed from Network Ten‘s websites.

Network Ten declined to comment on the case while it is before the courts, but their barrister Lyndelle Barnett said they intend to file defences of truth and qualified privilege. The next court date is set for February 2020.