ENTERTAINMENT

The Block’s Adrian Portelli slammed for letting his son suck on an extremely rare $130,000 dinosaur fossil: ‘It’s a rare piece of history, treat it with respect’

24/07/2024

The Block bidder Adrian Portelli recently raised eyebrows by revealing he had purchased a Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil.

And the 35-year-old surprised his followers again on Wednesday when he shared a short clip of his six-month-old baby Mercy playing with the dinosaur bone.

The clip shows Mercy lying on Adrian’s bed, looking content as she held the fossil while happily sucking on it.

His father’s hand was seen reaching out to grab the bone, but the curious young boy was having none of it and offered a cheeky grin as he grabbed the foot.

“There are a lot of questions about the T-Rex foot,” Adrian captioned the post, referring to his recent purchase.

Is it real? Yes, it is a genuine, authenticated fossil. It is about 80 million years old? Admission fee: $130,000.

Adrian continued: ‘Current price after suffering a broken toe… Unknown.’

While fans were quick to praise the cute clip, some questioned Adrian’s choice of baby toys.

The Block’s Adrian Portelli has been criticised for letting his son suck on a dinosaur fossil he paid $130,000 for

One critic slammed Adrian, writing: “This is a rare historical piece. Treat it with some respect.”

Others, however, were quick to come to Adrian’s defense.

“They are no different than a T-bone and a steak, both are animals and no longer exist, they are just a little older and have a few more zeros at the end of their price tag,” wrote one.

The original commenter responded by writing: “Do you realize these are incredibly rare? Comparing them to a tbone is beyond ridiculous.”

Adrian recently took to Instagram to share some enviable moments from his travels around the world on a private jet, including purchasing the rare fossil.

One critic slammed Adrian, writing, “This is a rare historical piece. Treat it with respect.”

“A piece like that with interconnected pieces is very, very rare. It needs to be in the right case to be enjoyed. Regardless of the chemicals they would have used to treat and preserve it before I put it in the baby’s mouth.”

This prompted Adrian to respond directly, telling the offended party, “I’m so glad you’re buying it for me and keeping it however you want. Until then, I’ll enjoy it however I want.”

Adrian recently took to Instagram to share some enviable moments from his travels around the world on a private jet.

One highlight that really caught the eye was her new “T-Rex foot.”

The absurdity of the purchase did not go unnoticed by her followers, who flooded the post with a mix of astonishment and humor.

Adrian and his partner, Karlie Butler, welcomed their first child, Mercy, in January.

The unique name pays homage to one of the first luxury cars Portelli ever purchased: a rare orange Lamborghini Murcielago, valued at more than $700,000.