Brittany Higgins has revealed that she contemplated suicide and was subjected to deepfake pornography in the years following Bruce Lehrmann's aborted rape trial. The former political staffer shared these revelations in the documentary 'Silenced', which examines how defamation laws are used to prevent victims from speaking publicly about abuse. The film premiered in Australia at the 73rd Sydney Film Festival on Wednesday.
Documentary Case Study
The documentary follows acclaimed barrister Jennifer Robinson, who represented actor Amber Heard during Johnny Depp's defamation suit against her over allegations of abuse. Ms Higgins appears as a case study. She opened up about the period after the criminal case against Lehrmann in the Australian Capital Territory collapsed due to juror misconduct in October 2022. A retrial was ruled out, and no criminal findings have been made against Lehrmann, who has consistently denied any sexual conduct occurred.
Higgins' Harrowing Account
Higgins told the documentary crew that she considered suicide due to stress after the trial was halted, but that 'police, luckily, intervened'. She said: 'I had incredible death threats; they threatened to kill my dog. I'm just really tired. I've gone through four government reviews, a criminal trial, civil trial, countless civil suits. I wouldn't even know how many.' Higgins also described how she was harassed by media and social media trolls, and depicted in AI deepfake pornography.
This appearance is Ms Higgins' first in-depth interview since she spoke to Lisa Wilkinson on The Project in February 2021.
Legal Battles
Lehrmann unsuccessfully brought a defamation case against Network Ten and Wilkinson, which was dismissed by Federal Court Justice Michael Lee in April 2024. The judge's findings, including that Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins on the balance of probabilities, were upheld on appeal by the Full Federal Court in December. In April, the High Court rejected Lehrmann's application for special leave to appeal.
'Silenced' has encountered several legal challenges before its Australian premiere. Liberal senator Sarah Henderson called for the script to be presented during a Senate Estimates hearing on February 10. She questioned how much the ABC vetted the documentary after the broadcaster contributed $340,000 to its funding, about 14 per cent of the production cost.
Senate Hearing Controversy
During the hearing, Henderson raised concerns about the documentary's claim that women featured in the film, including Higgins, were being silenced by defamation laws. She said: 'You would, no doubt, be aware that two Australian courts have found that Ms Higgins was not silenced and, in fact, made dishonest claims in asserting that the former Western Australian senator Linda Reynolds and her chief of staff Fiona Brown improperly covered up a rape in Parliament House.' Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young interjected several times, calling Henderson 'disgusting' and 'pretty low' for 'going after a rape victim'. Henderson rejected that claim and repeatedly said the documentary mentioned Reynolds and the civil case.
An advanced copy of 'Silenced', seen by the Australian Financial Review, did not specifically mention the defamation case Reynolds brought against Ms Higgins or her bankruptcy following a costs order. There was no reference during the premiere.
ABC's Editorial Review
ABC's managing director Hugh Marks said the broadcaster would make reasonable editorial reviews of the program before airing it. Marks said the ABC would 'ensure that it meets all standards and does not fall foul of the areas that Henderson was suggesting it has the potential to fall foul of'.
Financial Consequences
Ms Higgins and her husband David Sharaz were bankrupted by Reynolds following Federal Court proceedings last year, after the former Liberal senator successfully argued the couple had defamed her on social media. Ms Higgins was ordered to pay about $340,000 in damages and interest, plus 80 per cent of her legal costs, estimated at more than $1 million. Sharaz owed about $750,000 in legal costs.
It is understood that lawyers for Reynolds sent a letter to the Sydney-based production company behind the documentary, Stranger Than Fiction Films, in January. She reportedly warned against repeating allegations. Ms Robinson shared the AFR's coverage of the letter on her social media while promoting the film, writing: 'The legal dramas we have already faced with Silenced'.
Lehrmann's Legal Notice
Lehrmann's lawyer Zali Burrows also sent a concerns notice to the producers, requesting a copy of the film, a transcript, and a takedown of all promotional material in February. In the notice, seen by NewsWire, Ms Burrows said the notice was to 'preserve Lehrmann's right to a fair trial' in relation to separate criminal proceedings in Queensland. Lehrmann is facing two charges of rape over an alleged incident in Toowoomba in October 2021. He denies both charges. Ms Burrows claimed in a lengthy statement that the documentary could be interpreted by viewers as an 'accurate, nonfiction and true report of matters'.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
