Ellie-Jean Coffey faces death threats after being falsely accused of defecating in India’s sacred lake video

Australian surfing star Ellie-Jean Coffey is facing death threats after people in India wrongly accused her of defecating in a sacred lake. The 30-year-old posted a short Instagram video two days ago showing her urinating off the side of a boat in Western Australia’s remote Kimberley region, with a crocodile swimming just metres away.

But the video went viral in India after it was reposted with false claims that it showed her going to the bathroom in Udaipur’s sacred lake.

Ellie-Jean Coffey clarifies truth after viral mix-up

The confusion started when Coffey shared the clip with the caption, “A croc almost got me.” Soon after, an Indian Instagram account called SwadesiOfficial reposted it, wrongly claiming she was an “American tourist pooping into a lake in Udaipur.” The post quickly gained attention, and angry comments began pouring in.People demanded that Ellie-Jean Coffey be arrested or deported. Some called her “classless” and accused her of disrespecting Indian culture. “I started getting comments asking if I was in India, but I didn’t know what was going on,” she told News Corp Australia. “Then I saw people saying I should be deported — and I’ve never even been to India.”

After seeing the backlash, Coffey re-posted her clip with a new caption: “I’m setting the record straight. I’m Australian.

This is the Aussie outback. IT WAS NOT IN INDIA.” She told News Corp, “It’s so wild how fast a lie can spread online. I can’t believe it spun out of control like that.”Coffey also explained that she was only urinating, not doing anything else. She said the video was meant to be funny and was filmed by a friend during a nine-month boat trip from Tweed Heads to Broome. She said she took a quick bathroom break while keeping her eyes on a 1.5-metre crocodile nearby. “We usually go in port or use a bucket, but this time we were far out,” she said.

Ellie-Jean Coffey’s surfing journey and personal struggles

Ellie-Jean Coffey grew up on Australia’s Gold Coast and became one of the country’s most famous surfing stars. She came second in the 2012 Junior World Surfing Championships, marking the start of her career. But her journey in the sport has not been easy.In a 2020 interview, Ellie-Jean Coffey revealed that she was mentally and physically abused by powerful people in the surfing industry when she was a teenager. “I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world, but soon the darker side of surfing showed up,” she said. “The abuse I went through has haunted me my whole life.”Also Read: Roger Federer Vs Rafael Nadal Net Worth In 2025: Who Is Richer, Tennis Career, Endorsements And MoreSince leaving professional surfing, Ellie-Jean Coffey has built a new life sharing travel and adventure videos online. Her Instagram shows moments from her trip, fishing for barramundi, swimming in rapids, and camping for days without a shower.Now, after the false claims spread online, Ellie-Jean Coffey hopes people will understand the truth. “I would never disrespect any country like that,” she said.