Brittany Higgins has left a prominent public relations role only five months after starting, a move that follows her recent bankruptcy and a costly defamation defeat.
A Short-Lived Return to Work
The former Liberal staffer, who was publicly bankrupted by her former boss Senator Linda Reynolds last week, had been appointed as director of public affairs at the independent agency Third Hemisphere in May. Her appointment was announced in a detailed interview with the Australian Financial Review in June, where she expressed a desire to move past being the centre of the story. "How long do I have to be the story for?" she asked at the time, referencing the intense media scrutiny and lengthy court cases stemming from her rape by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament House in 2019.
Ms Higgins had celebrated the new position on Instagram with the caption, "Your girl is finally back in the workforce!" However, she is now absent from the agency's website, and her LinkedIn profile indicates she departed the company in October. The reason for her exit remains unclear, but it occurred just two months after she lost her defamation case against Senator Reynolds.
Financial Fallout and Bankruptcy
The defamation loss forced both Higgins and her husband, David Sharaz, into bankruptcy. Mr Sharaz, who also conceded defeat in his own defamation proceedings, joined the same PR firm in March and remains listed on its website as a director. In August, Justice Paul Tottle found that social media posts by the couple in 2022 and 2023 had damaged Senator Reynolds's reputation and health. The posts wrongly implied she had harassed Ms Higgins, mishandled the rape allegation, and acted questionably during Lehrmann's criminal trial.
Ms Higgins was ordered to pay $340,000 in damages and interest, along with 80% of the senator's estimated $1 million legal costs, plus her own $600,000 fees. Mr Sharaz was ordered to pay $85,000. According to the Australian Financial Security Authority, the couple would have to make contributions from their income to Senator Reynolds if they earned above a threshold of $87,396 annually.
From Settlement to Insolvency
The bankruptcy marks a stark reversal from several years ago, when Ms Higgins received a $2.45 million settlement from the Commonwealth over the handling of her rape complaint. More than half was for loss of earnings, with the rest covering medical expenses, legal costs, and compensation for hurt and humiliation. The couple used proceeds from this settlement to purchase a house in France, go on holidays, rent a Gold Coast property, and fund their wedding.
However, by the time bankruptcy proceedings began, the court heard Ms Higgins's estate was worth approximately $10,000. She had sold the French house to cover legal costs, given birth to her son, and relocated to Melbourne. Senator Reynolds has been critical of the original settlement, as she was not permitted to defend herself against the claims made.
When speaking about her PR role in June, Ms Higgins said she connected with the agency's CEO, a fellow survivor, and saw the job as a step towards following her role models. Her work involved reputation management and strategic advocacy. Third Hemisphere and Ms Higgins have been contacted for comment.
