Brittany Higgins has issued a determined vow from her hospital bed that she’s willing to testify against Bruce Lehrmann if he sues Lisa Wilkinson and Channel 10 for defamation.
The former Liberal staffer spent her 29th birthday in a Queensland mental health clinic on Wednesday, less than a week after the alleged sexual assault charge against her former colleague was dropped.
ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold decided not to proceed with a second trial amid fears it would negatively impact Ms Higgins’ mental health – after the first one was aborted in October due to misconduct by a juror.
Daily Mail Australia revealed on Tuesday Mr Lehrmann is considering whether to sue Wilkinson, the production company behind The Project (Rove McManus’s Roving Enterprises), Network Ten and parent company Paramount.
Ms Higgins first alleged she was raped by a ‘male colleague’ during a TV interview on The Project with Ms Wilkinson in February 2021, which later won the current affairs program a Logie.
Sources with knowledge of the situation said Mr Lehrmann will claim he wasn’t given opportunity to respond to the allegations levelled in the program.
On Wednesday night, Ms Higgins responded to claims Mr Lehrmann could taken legal action by vowing to testify to her version of events in court. Mr Lehrmann has always strenuously denied Ms Higgins’ claims.
David Sharaz is pictured with Brittany Higgins. He uploaded photos of them together for her 28th birthday
‘Following recent developments, I feel the need to make it clear if required I am willing to defend the truth as a witness in any potential civil cases brought about by Mr Lehrmann,’ Ms Higgins tweeted.
Mr Lehrmann has hired one of Australia’s most respected defamation specialty law firms, Mark O’Brien Legal.
‘We’re acting in the matter,’ principal solicitor Paul Svilans told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday morning.
‘We’re looking to assess whether there’s a matter that’s actionable.’
No concerns notices have been sent to date as lawyers begin the lengthy process of examining volumes of media reports and public speeches.
It’s understood that Mr Lehrmann will give ‘strong consideration’ to filing lawsuits against several media companies and Twitter identities.
Channel 10 has since hit back, insisting its news team approached Mr Lehrmann for comment before Wilkinson’s explosive interview with Ms Higgins aired on The Project in 2021.
‘As is customary, comment was sought but not provided’, a spokesperson said.
‘Network 10 has received no notice of any claim or proceedings.’
Brittany Higgins took to Twitter on Wednesday night where she vowed to testify against former colleague Bruce Lehrmann if he sues Lisa Wilkinson and Channel 10 for defamation
Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) is considering whether to sue Lisa Wilkinson, the production company behind The Project, Network Ten and parent company Paramount
Meanwhile, it is understood Mr Lehrmann has no plans to change his name or leave the country, despite speculation, and that he is determined to clear his name.
Earlier on Wednesday, Ms Higgins shared footage from her hospital bed for the first time since she was admitted, thanking her family and friends for helping her celebrate her 28th birthday.
The day began with Ms Higgins boyfriend David Sharaz buying her a coffee and delivering it to her bedside.
Later that afternoon, she uploaded an Instagram story, which she filmed from her bed in the hospital ward.
Her mother Kelly Higgins waved at the camera, and another friend could be seen sitting in front of a table filled with balloons and flowers.
She captioned the video: ‘My friends and family are the best.’
Kelly Higgins (left), Brittany’s mother, could be seen in her hospital room. The room was decorated with flowers and balloons
Mr Sharaz also posted a heartfelt birthday post for his ‘soulmate’.
‘Happiest of Birthdays to my soulmate, Brittany-My-God-She’s-Beautiful-Higgins. We’re so lucky to have you.
‘Blessed by your bravery, your dignity, and a resilience that is the closest to superhuman I’ll ever witness,’ he wrote.
‘I know this wasn’t the birthday celebration we’d hoped for: a crappy morning coffee in hospital. But trust me, better days are ahead gorgeous. They just are.’
David Sharaz (pictured with Brittany Higgins) uploaded a series of photos for Ms Higgins’ birthday on Wednesday
He thanked Ms Higgins for her ‘kindness and love’, and said she was the ‘single greatest person’ he has ever met.
It had been alleged that Mr Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins inside Parliament House in March 2019.
Mr Lehrmann pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent at trial and has strenuously denied the allegations against him.
It comes as her lawyers prepare to launch civil court proceedings against the Commonwealth and her former bosses Linda Reynolds and Michaelia Cash.
Her lawyers have sent documents to all parties setting out an intention to sue for sexual harassment, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence, and victimisation.
On Wednesday, Ms Higgins’ boyfriend David Sharaz uploaded an Instagram story wishing her a happy birthday
She will claim $2.5million for future economic loss, up to $100,000 for past economic loss $100,000 for general damages, $20,000 for future assistance with domestic duties and $150,000 for past and future out-of-pocket expenses.
An official claim is yet to be filed as the involved parties prepare to enter into mediation talks on December 13.
It is understood Noor Blumer, a founding partner of Blumers Lawyers has been quietly negotiating the claim since February. She has declined to comment on the matter or any mediation talks.
Ms Higgins’ lawyer Leon Zwier, who supported her during the criminal case in Canberra, is aware of the claim.
Mr Lehrmann was not publicly named as Ms Higgins’ alleged rapist until six months later, when he was formally charged with sexual assault.
Brittany Higgins has spent her birthday in hospital with her mother Kelly Higgins (pictured), a friend, and her boyfriend
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