How The Project host has made herself a small target amid Brittany Higgins trial – No Brittany’ rules, smaller stories and less airtime: Lisa Wilkinson takes on a low profile as she and her husband Peter FitzSimons find themselves figures in Bruce Lehrmann rape trial
- TV host Lisa Wilkinson cut a casual figure as she flew commercial this week
- Rules imposed by Channel 10 mean she is not reporting on high-profile case
- Brittany Higgins went public with her allegations on The Project in February 2021
- Ms Higgins alleges Bruce Lehrmann raped her in 2019. He pleaded not guilty
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured at Brisbane Airport on Thursday
Lisa Wilkinson and her husband Peter FitzSimons have been named during the trial of Brittany Higgins’ accused rapist, Bruce Lehrmann.
How The Project host has made herself a small target amid Brittany Higgins trial
ANd The Project host is keeping a lower profile as a jury considers its verdict in the major case where one of her TV interviews and her husband’s book dealing have both been raised as evidence.
Wilkinson was spotted cutting a casual figure at Brisbane Airport on Thursday, as she flew into Queensland with her daughter Billie, carting a black wheelie suitcase and thatched designer handbag.
TV viewers have been seeing less of the high-profile anchor throughout the three weeks of Ms Higgins’s case.
The Australian’s Media Diary column reported this month that Wilkinson is banned from reading any news headlines about the case during the case. Under rules imposed by her employer, she also wasn’t permitted to appear on the show at all while Ms Higgins was giving evidence earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Wilkinson has been focusing on smaller reports, such as about the dangers of online gaming, which was aired on the most recent Sunday Project.
Lisa Wilkinson is pictured carting a black wheelie suitcase and a thatched designer handbag. She wore an oversized black blazer and slacks combo, chunky sandals and a white T-shirt
Brittany Higgins is pictured outside the ACT Supreme Court on Friday. She went public with her rape allegations in February, in an interview with Lisa Wilkinson, and the case is unfolding
Her low profile comes as it was revealed in the ACT Supreme Court that Ms Wilkinson’s husband, author and activist Peter FitzSimons, landed Ms Higgins a $325,000 book deal.
Ms Higgins alleges ex-Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House in March 2019, and went public with her allegations during an interview with Ms Wilkinson on The Project in February 2021.
Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty. The jury were asked to retire on Wednesday afternoon and are deliberating.
Ms Wilkinson was among the 50-odd people on the original witness list, but the number was whittled down by about 21 people last week and she was no longer required.
On October 7, the court heard Mr FitzSimons suggested she write a biography about her experiences – to which Ms Higgins told them she had already started drafting chapters.
Ms Higgins told the court they met at an event in March 2021, before Mr FitzSimons said: ‘You need to write a book’.
Defence lawyer Steven Whybrow questioned Ms Higgins about a book deal and texts she sent to Ms Wilkinson and Mr FitzSimons (pictured together)
Bruce Lehrmann has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent. He is pictured outside court
‘[Mr FitzSimons said he] would act as my agent, and I said ‘sure’ and within a day he came back with offers,’ she told the court.
Lehrmann’s defence lawyer Steven Whybrow put to Ms Higgins that she asked Mr FitzSimons about a potential book, to which the alleged victim replied: ‘I really didn’t ask – he approached me.’
‘He said, ‘I know people, I’m going to ask them for you’.’
Mr Whybrow then put to Ms Higgins that she was offered $325,000 to write a book outlining her experiences.
He then cited a text Ms Higgins sent to Ms Wilkinson and FitzSimons that said: ‘I am blown away.
‘Yes I can absolutely do this … I’ve had the chapters outlined for the last month or so.’
The court heard the offer came before she had finished recording her evidence-in-chief interview with police.
During his closing statement on Wednesday morning, Mr Whybrow claimed in court there were ‘325,000 reasons why this case is important from (Ms Higgins’s) perspective.’
The jury will continue deliberating through Friday.
