Alert – Bruce Lehrmann’s group chat messages reveal how his friends abandoned him after Brittany Higgins accused him of rape on The Project: ‘Eject!’

A series of screenshots presented to the Federal Court highlight how friends of Bruce Lehrmann responded after The Project’s now infamous interview first aired. 

Mr Lehrmann, a former Liberal staffer, is suing Network Ten and ex-Project host Lisa Wilkinson over a TV interview in which Ms Higgins alleged she was raped. He appeared in the Federal Court on Thursday on the second day of his defamation case.

Mr Lehrmann told the court that he was ‘booted’ from a Facebook group within the week of February 15, 2021 – when The Project interview was broadcast.

One screenshot tendered in court showed nine people quitting a group chat with Mr Lehrmann after the TV program was aired. 

READ MORE: Daily Mail ‘s live blog of the Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial 

Bruce Lehrmann (left) appeared in the Federal Court on Thursday in the second day of his defamation trial against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson 

Mr Lehrmann said he was kicked out of group chats on social media after The Project interview aired on February 15, 2021. The above screenshot shows nine people leaving his group chat after the program was aired

‘I recall logging into my social media accounts to shut them down because of the media furore,’ Mr Lehrmann said. 

Referring to Facebook, he told the court: ‘I was removed from group chats and blocked in groups, my friend count had reduced which meant people had unfriended me.’

‘When I was removed from these groups, [the administrators] would highlight in the messenger app that I had been removed,’ he said. 

Mr Lehrmann also explained he had been left as the sole member of another group chat after all other members removed themselves. 

In the chat, which consisted of National party supporters, Mr Lehrmann said someone had posted an ‘eject’ picture. 

In a text exchange, Mr Lehrmann was asked by a friend if they could call him, to which he responded: ‘Maybe not tonight mate’. 

‘As your mate, I need to call you brother,’ the friend replied.

Mr Lehrmann then said: ‘Trying to call you mate’. 

Mr Lehrmann said: ‘When I was removed from these groups, [the administrators] would highlight in the messenger app that I had been removed’

A screenshot showing a conversation between Mr Lehrmann and a friend (Mr Lehrmann’s responses are in blue) 

When asked about the impact The Project broadcast had on his life, Mr Lehrmann told the court: ‘The Project has completely destroyed me.’ 

‘Everything flowed from that – losing friends, finances, sections of my family haven’t bothered to contact me.

‘It has fractured large parts of my life.’

READ MORE: Expert reveals what’s really at stake in Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial 

Also on Thursday, Mr Lehrmann told the Federal Court that he had ‘spiralled’ after reading an article on news.com.au at about 8am on February 15, 2021, which detailed Brittany Higgins’ rape allegations.

He wasn’t aware at the time that the allegations involved him but had decided to read the story because of its political content.  

He told the court he recognised Ms Higgins’ name because they used to be colleagues, and said ‘I was shocked like everyone else’.

He knew the allegations were about him by about 2pm that day, when a News Corp journalist, Rosie Lewis, contacted his employer, which at that time was British American Tobacco.

Mr Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and ex-Project host Lisa Wilkinson (second from left) over a broadcast in which Ms Higgins alleged she was raped

Ms Lewis said she heard the alleged rapist was him, and asked whether he or his employer had a comment.

‘I was called into a meeting after I had lunch,’ Mr Lehrmann told the court.

‘I was shown the email from Ms Lewis.

‘She indicated in that email that she’d heard from government sources that I was the alleged person identified from media reporting that morning, and did my company have a response or through them, did I have a response.’

He also told his girlfriend about the situation and called criminal lawyer Rick Korn.  

When asked how had felt after that point, Mr Lehrmann said ‘I completely spiralled’.

He said Mr Korn was also trying to ‘manage my emotions’ and, later in the week, he became suicidal.

Mr Lehrmann has always denied allegations he raped Brittany Higgins and there have been no findings made against him.