Inside Brittany Higgins' lonely birthday in a hospital ward as Bruce Lehrmann ... trends now
Bruce Lehrmann has hired a top defamation lawyer as his hit list of media outlets comes into focus, including the ABC for broadcasting Brittany Higgins' National Press Club address and Lisa Wilkinson over her interview with the ex-staffer.
It comes as Ms Higgins marked her 28th birthday on Wednesday with a coffee delivered to her at her hospital ward by her boyfriend David Sharaz. Daily Mail Australia understands she remains very unwell.
Meanwhile, Mr Lehrmann has retained one of Australia's most respected defamation law firms, Mark O'Brien Legal, in the wake of the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions dropping the sexual assault charge against him.
'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.'
It is understood that Mr Lehrmann will give' strong consideration' to filing lawsuits against several media companies and Twitter identities.
Daily Mail Australia first reported that the list includes Ms Wilkinson, the producers of The Project (Rove McManus's Roving Enterprises), Network Ten and parent company Paramount.
The ABC is also expected to be in the firing line over comments made during the National Press Club appearance in February, 2021 during an address by Ms Higgins and Grace Tame.
Several other mastheads are also expected to be slapped with lawsuits.
On Wednesday, Ms Higgins' boyfriend David Sharaz uploaded an Instagram story wishing her a happy birthday
DPP chief Shane Drumgold announced on Friday he would not to go ahead with a second trial against Mr Lehrmann - after the first one was aborted in October due to misconduct by a jury member - amid fears it would negatively affect Ms Higgins' mental health.
It had been alleged that Mr Lehrmann raped her inside Parliament House in March 2019. He pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent and has strenuously denied the allegations against him.
On Wednesday, Ms Higgins' boyfriend David Sharaz uploaded an Instagram story wishing her a happy birthday. She also posted happy birthday messages to her own Instagram account - including one from her mother, and close friends.
Ms Higgins first alleged she was raped by a 'male colleague' during an interview 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.
Mr Lehrmann was not publicly named as Ms Higgins' alleged rapist until six
