Former Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has launched a scathing criticism of Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz for travelling to the United States to attend the premiere of a film at the Sundance Film Festival, despite being declared bankrupt following high-profile defamation proceedings.
Bankruptcy Restrictions and Travel Permission
Higgins and Sharaz were declared bankrupt last year after Federal Court proceedings found they had defamed Reynolds on social media. The court ordered Higgins to pay approximately $340,000 in damages and interest to Reynolds, plus 80 per cent of her legal costs estimated at over $1 million. Sharaz was ordered to pay about $750,000 in legal costs.
The couple are now subject to strict bankruptcy regulations that limit their earnings, prohibit them from owning vehicles worth more than $9,600, and restrict international travel. While bankrupt individuals are permitted to travel abroad, they must surrender their passports to the trustee appointed to recoup funds and seek permission for specific trips.
Controversial Festival Attendance
The Daily Mail reports that Higgins and Sharaz were granted permission by their trustees to travel to Utah for the premiere of the feature film Silenced, based on the book #HowManyMoreWomen by Australian human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson. The film explores the political fallout from Higgins' rape claims against her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann, alongside sexual assault claims by Robinson and Amber Heard.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, Reynolds expressed astonishment that Higgins considered it appropriate to promote a film concerning her court matters while bankrupt. "It beggars belief that in circumstances where she has been bankrupted for failing to pay the Court ordered damages for defaming me that she can indulge herself in promoting such a film," Reynolds stated.
Court Findings and Financial Consequences
WA Supreme Court Justice Paul Tottle found last year that Higgins had lied about Reynolds' conduct during the defamation case. Reynolds argued that a series of social media posts by Higgins and Sharaz in 2022 and 2023 damaged her reputation and impacted her health.
While Sharaz conceded defeat before the 2024 hearing, Higgins hired a top Perth barrister to argue her case and ultimately lost. Justice Tottle determined that Higgins' posts wrongly implied Reynolds engaged in harassment, mishandled her rape allegation, and displayed questionable conduct during Lehrmann's criminal trial in 2022.
Financial Downfall Following Settlement
The bankruptcy comes almost three years after Higgins secured a $2.45 million settlement from the Commonwealth over the handling of her rape complaint. More than half of this sum compensated for loss of earnings, with the remainder covering medical expenses, legal costs, and $400,000 for hurt, distress and humiliation.
Following the settlement, the couple purchased a house in France using the proceeds, went on multiple holidays, rented a Gold Coast property for approximately a year, wore designer clothing, spent over $100,000 on their Australian wedding, and later sold their French property to cover defamation case legal costs. By the time bankruptcy proceedings commenced, the court heard Higgins' estate was worth about $10,000.
Film Premiere and Social Media Activity
Silenced, directed by Australian director Selina Miles, premiered on Saturday at Sundance with additional screenings scheduled throughout the week. The film highlights what its Sundance website blurb describes as "the personal cost and system bias shaping legal battles faced by" Robinson, Heard and Higgins, revealing "a global pattern: When women speak out, powerful systems move to discredit and punish them."
On Tuesday, Sharaz uploaded an Instagram photo showing Higgins and their 11-month-old son Freddie onboard a Qantas flight, with the caption joking about the child's extroverted behaviour. The couple, who moved from France to Melbourne last year, previously shared photos from a Byron Bay trip in December shortly after bankruptcy proceedings.
Reynolds concluded her statement by noting: "Two courts have now found that Ms Higgins made false allegations about how she was treated in her workplace after she was assaulted. It is a shame the important message of this film has been undermined."
