<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Brittany Higgins has been dealt another financial blow after her former boss launched bankruptcy proceedings to recoup costs awarded from </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/brittany-higgins-to-learn-defamation-fate-over-posts/4ef8b9c3-6033-4849-978e-97ef62451dbc" rel="" target="_blank" title="her defamation win"><span>her defamation win</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Linda Reynolds sued Higgins over a series of social media posts the ex-Liberal senator believed damaged her reputation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Western Australian Supreme Court in August found the posts were defamatory and awarded damages of $315,000 plus $26,109 interest to Reynolds.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/work-from-home-aussies-targeted-by-cyber-hackers/b325ffdb-f03a-49b5-bb1d-e03561c1cb80" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Chinese hackers targeting remote workers in Australia through Wi-Fi routers, VPNs</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Higgins was also ordered to pay 80 per cent of Reynolds' yet-to-be-determined legal costs, but is appealing elements of the judgment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She is challenging the damages and costs orders, and the finding that she breached a 2021 deed of settlement between the pair by referring to herself as a "defamation victim" in an Instagram post.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Reynolds confirmed today that she has filed a creditor's petition in the Federal Court, claiming Higgins "failed to comply" with a bankruptcy notice issued to her several weeks ago.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/brittany-higgins-faces-bankruptcy-action-by-former-senator-linda-reynolds/b01b9214-1249-4ddd-90e8-86ac42e2e55b" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It is unfortunate that I have to take this step in this long-running saga," the former parliamentarian said in a statement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"As I have said, this is conduct which comes as no surprise to me however what should be plain now is that I am committed to seeing this through to the end."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Federal Court records show the former senator filed the bankruptcy proceedings against Higgins on Friday.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/social-media-study-australia-ban-anika-wells/6e98c23b-3fb6-47ab-9a84-f0dc833a1bcc" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Study claims social media is making kids dumber as Wells launches ban ad</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Higgins' husband David Sharaz has also been served with similar bankruptcy proceedings by Reynolds.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The ex-political staffer apologised to Reynolds following the former defence minister's high-profile five-week defamation trial victory in September 2024.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The trial centred on a tweet Higgins and her husband published in January 2022, which carried imputations that Reynolds pressured Higgins not to proceed with a sexual assault complaint and that she was a hypocrite in her advocacy of gender equality and female empowerment.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Justice Paul Tottle found Higgins' social media posts were defamatory after they implied Reynolds engaged in a campaign of harassment against Higgins, mishandled her rape allegation and engaged in questionable conduct during Bruce Lehrmann's aborted criminal trial for rape.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The 360-page judgment made factual findings about events involving the pair, including Higgins' alleged 2019 rape and that Higgins made 26 false or misleading statements in media interviews.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/phone-numbers-of-prime-minister-opposition-leader-shared-online/9f3c8b8f-d002-4de2-afa7-ad2622464762" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Personal phone numbers of Albanese, Ley and Trump published on US website</span></strong></a><strong></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She alleges former co-worker Lehrmann raped her in the senator's ministerial suite, a claim he has always denied.</span><strong><span></span></strong></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Federal Court judge overseeing a defamation case launched by Lehrmann against Network Ten found Higgins was, on the balance of probabilities, raped by her former colleague in the office.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lehrmann is appealing that finding.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Support is available from the</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service</span></strong><span> </span><strong><span>at</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au/" title="https://www.1800respect.org.au/"><strong><span>1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)</span></strong></a><strong><span>.</span></strong></div></div>