Brittany Higgins shares her heartache after close family member dies

Brittany Higgins is mourning the death of her grandmother just weeks after announcing she was pregnant with her first child.

Ms Higgins, who now lives in France, took to Instagram on Thursday night to announce the heartbreaking news.

‘Processing the loss of the strongest woman I have ever known. I love and already miss you grandma x,’ she captioned a series of photos.

The heartfelt post sparked a comment from her mother Kelly.

‘She loved you, and was so proud of you,’ she wrote. 

‘It was so special she got to celebrate your wedding and be excited about the news of great-grandchild. She was a remarkable woman who taught us truth strength. I love you beautiful.’ 

Brittany Higgins (pictured with husband David Sharaz) described her late grandmother as the strongest woman she has ever known

Ms Higgins and her new husband David Sharaz broke cover in France earlier this week as her defamation trial against her old boss Senator Linda Reynolds got underway in Perth.

The couple were spotted in Paris as they made their way to the Australian embassy after making a three hours train trip to sign an affidavit.

Ms Higgins, who announced her pregnancy last month, was seen clutching her baby bump as the pair strolled into the Australian embassy.

She paired a flowing white-and-black-striped maternity dress with Chanel shoes, while her new husband sported an open-necked navy Ralph Lauren shirt.

The couple posted about their trip into the city on Instagram.

‘POV (point of view): when your town’s notaire takes a month off and you have to train to the embassy to sign affidavits,’ Ms Higgins captioned a video of her husband running to scare a flock of pigeons.

‘Who was more scared: you or the pigeons?’, Ms Higgins asked.

‘Probably me – they are coming back!’, replied Mr Sharaz, as he made his way along the pavement. 

The couple returned to Australian in June for their wedding, held a one of Australia’s most exclusive and elegant wedding venues, The Valley Estate on the Gold Coast

They announced they were expecting their first child a month later.

‘Beyond excited to welcome a new member to our little family,’ Ms Higgins wrote.

‘Your parents are already obsessed with you and you aren’t even here yet.’

Brittany Higgins (left) paid a heartfelt tribute to her grandmother (right)

The couple have set up a new life in for the sprawling countryside in Lunas, near Bordeaux in southern France, which they’ve called home since last December.

Their move came five years after Ms Higgins claimed she was raped by former parliamentary staffer Bruce Lehrmann at Parliament House in 2019.

Mr Lehrmann has always denied the allegations and had pleaded not guilty to a single charge of engaging in sexual intercourse without consent before the trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.

In the Federal Court earlier this year, Justice Michael Lee ruled Mr Lehrmann was convinced to a civil standard – which is different to a criminal standard – on the balance of probabilities Ms Higgins was raped.

The finding came following legal action Mr Lehrmann brought against Network 10 and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over a report about the alleged rape on The Project program in 2021.

Mr Lehrmann is appealing the decision.