Key Points
- A court heard about a $325,000 book deal Brittany Higgins had signed with Penguin Random House.
- It was pitched as a non-fiction account of the events surrounding the alleged rape.
- She said the remaining $216,000 she is yet to be paid would be donated to charity if the book is published.
This story contains references to sexual assault.
Brittany Higgins has said $216,000 promised to her if she wrote a book on her alleged sexual assault in Parliament House would be donated to charity if it was ever finished.
Giving evidence in Federal Court on Thursday, Higgins also denied her claims around the alleged rape by Bruce Lehrmann had been adapted and evolved over time.
Lehrmann has sued Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson for defamation over a February 2021 report on The Project where Higgins was interviewed.
The alleged rape is claimed to have occurred in the Parliament House office of Lehrmann and Higgins' then boss, senator Linda Reynolds, in the early hours of 23 March, 2019.
Lehrmann has has always asserted his innocence and told the court he denies that any sexual intercourse or intimacy occurred.
Under cross-examination by Lehrmann's barrister Steven Whybrow SC, Higgins was taken to a $325,000 book deal she signed with Penguin Random House for a non-fiction account of the events surrounding the alleged rape.
Already receiving around $108,000 as an advance, Higgins denied she had a financial interest in the outcome of the defamation proceedings given she was still yet to receive approximately $216,000.
"If I ever actually finish the book, I will donate all $200,000 whatever to charity. I don't care about the money," she told Justice Michael Lee.
A draft of the novel sent to Penguin in April 2021 was "crap" and contained inaccuracies about the alleged rape, Higgins said, saying her evidence to the court was the actual truth.
Higgins was questioned about how her evidence had changed over time, including the timing of a panic attack she had in Parliament House and the location of a box of chocolates she claimed she polished off after the alleged rape.
"I want to suggest to you that is an example of your evidence evolving as you find out new information," Whybrow said.
"No, I don't accept that," Higgins answered.
Lehrmann has already given evidence in the trial and has admitted to a number of lies and false statements he gave to police, Parliament House security, his employer and supervisor, and the media.
He was charged in August 2021 over the alleged rape. His criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court was . Prosecutors did not seek a second trial, citing concerns for Higgins' mental health.
Lehrmann has always asserted his innocence, and no finding has been made against him in relation to the allegations.
Earlier this year, a landmark report into the ACT legal system and the Higgins case made damning findings against former director of public prosecutions Shane Drumgold, which he has sought to challenge.
If this story has raised any issues for you, there is help available at Lifeline on 13 11 14.
If you or someone you know wants to talk about sexual assault or harassment, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit
In an emergency, call 000.
