EXCLUSIVE
These are the bathroom selfies Brittany Higgins sent to her ex-boyfriend in her white cocktail dress – just weeks after wearing it on the night she alleges was raped by Bruce Lehrmann.
The photos were part of a tranche of documents uploaded on the Federal Court’s website on Tuesday afternoon, amid Mr Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten.
Also revealed was a series of texts Mr Lehrmann sent his ex-girlfriend while he was in a mental health facility – two days after Ms Higgins went public with her rape allegations for the first time in early 2021.
Ms Higgins was cross-examined about the white dress in court on Friday, during which she admitted she told police on February 6, 2021, that she put it in a bag under her bed for six months, before taking it out, washing it, and wearing it once.
She made the same claim to the ACT Supreme Court during Mr Lehrmann’s criminal trial last year – before she was forced to concede it wasn’t under her bed for six months because she had worn it to a work function on May 16, 2019.
Last week, Ms Higgins admitted the dress was actually under her bed for about five days before she took it out, washed it, and packed it for a six-week work trip to Perth with her former boss Linda Reynolds.
Brittany Higgins sent this selfie to her ex-boyfriend – just weeks after wearing it on the night she alleges was raped by Bruce Lehrmann
The photos were part of a tranche of documents uploaded on the Federal Court’s website on Tuesday afternoon
She wore it at Senator Reynolds’ birthday celebration five weeks after the alleged rape, and took selfies in the bathroom to send to her former flame, Ben Dillaway.
‘I’m working on my selfie game,’ she wrote, after sending the photos.
He replied: ‘F**k you look hot.’
Ms Higgins had told the court they were in an on-off relationship and would sometimes send ‘sexts’.
Ms Higgins told the court on Friday that she wore the dress again because it was her favourite and she wanted to ‘reclaim’ it.
She said: ‘I took the photos of myself in the bathroom because I felt awkward that night.
‘We were rekindling things – I was trying to be flirty, I guess.’
Mr Whybrow said she sent ‘thousands’ of messages to Mr Dillaway, but never told him it was the dress she was allegedly assaulted in.
The documents on the Federal Court’s website also showed a series of texts between Mr Lehrmann and his ex-girlfriend, Greta Sinclair, the week Ms Higgins publicly alleged she was raped by a ‘male colleague’ for the first time.
The court previously heard Mr Lehrmann realised Ms Higgins’ allegations were about him on the afternoon of February 15, 2021 – after a news.com.au story was published with the same rape claims, and before The Project went to air that evening.
Mr Lehrmann is suing Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten for defamation
He has continually denied raping Ms Higgins.
Mr Lehrmann was previously cross-examined about reams of messages he sent Ms Sinclair because she was ‘distraught’ when she found out the rape allegations were about him.
He tried to make her feel better by fabricating information – falsely claiming he had ‘two lawyers’, could ‘make millions’ by suing for defamation, and that his lawyer said he was ‘part of a bigger political hatchet job’.
He then told the court those message were not accurate – ‘I was, in a sense, putting on a brave face for Ms Sinclair,’ he told the court.
Fresh texts on Tuesday show the couple frequently said ‘I love you’ and called each other ‘sweet pea’.
But within about two days of Ms Higgins’ allegations being aired, Ms Sinclair – while supportive – began to struggle.
By that point, he had checked into Royal North Shore mental health unit, before being transferred to another facility that specialised in mental health.
On February 17, the couple had a text exchange about his mental health situation.
They were saying goodnight, when Mr Lehrmann suddenly said: ‘You don’t love me anymore. It’s ok.’
Ms Sinclair replied: ‘It’s just a lot to deal with … so it’s not easy for me and today was scary.’
Mr Lehrmann replied: ‘I know and I said through it all that you’re my main worry so I get it. I was you to be safe as the primary priority. I never want to lose you. I meant [everything] I’ve ever said or done for you in terms of my feelings.’
She replied: ‘I know … We don’t need to talk about it now. Let’s just get you into hospital.’
Mr Lehrmann was previously cross-examined about reams of messages he sent Ms Sinclair because she was ‘distraught’ when she found out the rape allegations were about him
Also revealed in the tranche of court documents was a series of texts Mr Lehrmann sent his ex-girlfriend while he was in a mental health facility – two days after Ms Higgins went public with her rape allegations for the first time in early 2021
The following day, she said: ‘I’m going to tell my friends you are in a clinic due to stress at work and we are taking time apart for my mental health as I can’t support you and what you need.’
On February 21, she said: ‘I don’t know if I can continue our relationship.’
Mr Lehrmann replied: ‘Right. So you’re ditching me?’
She said: ‘I’m not ditching you.’
Ms Sinclair then told him another woman had accused Mr Lehrmann of rape, but he told her that allegation had been made two weeks prior and had been ‘debunked’.
She said she didn’t know how to process the information because she didn’t read the news, but found out when her mother told her.
He said: ‘I’m telling the truth. I came home straight away and told you the truth … Because you are important to me. I can’t tell you how much.’
She replied: ‘I know … And I know you didn’t do it but I don’t know if I can get over the thought of it.’
Mr Lehrmann said: ‘I haven’t changed. The media has changed the perception of me. Not even the media, nasty disgusting trolls on social media. I’ve done nothing wrong.
‘I’ve lost absolutely everything and everyone over nothing. My entire life to date, I’ve never felt more comfortable and sure about the future than with you and that’s a testament to you and your strength and what you’ve overcome.’
Brittany Higgins is pictured leaving Federal Court during the defamation case against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson
Ms Sinclair said: ‘Thank you. I’m sorry. I’ll call you tomorrow.’ She added, ‘I’m always here for you’.
Three days after that, she texted him again: ‘This is all quite a lot for me to handle and a journalist tried to add me on Instagram. I will be available to talk every now and again but I am not going to continue our relationship.
‘I’m sorry and I hope you understand.’
At that time, Mr Lehrmann’s mother was visiting him in Sydney, friends were sending him articles with more rape allegations, and he had lost his job.
Mr Lehrmann is suing Wilkinson and Ten over an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project on February 15, 2021, during which she first aired her rape allegations against him.
He was not named in that broadcast, but he claims he was identified by friends, colleagues and family members as the man who allegedly raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House on March 23, 2019.
Mr Lehrmann has continually denied having any sexual contact with Ms Higgins, consensually or otherwise.
Ms Higgins’ cross-examination finished on Tuesday.
The hearing will resume on Wednesday morning.