Never-Before-Seen Text Messages Reveal Friendship Between Brittany Higgins and Media Power Couple
Background
Brittany Higgins, a former political staffer, alleged that she was raped by a colleague in Parliament House in 2019. Her story made headlines across Australia, leading to a heated national conversation about sexual harassment and assault within the country’s political sphere. In the aftermath of her allegations, Ms. Higgins has become an advocate for women’s rights and has been working on a book about her experiences. It has now come to light that Ms. Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz were welcomed into the lavish world of media power couple Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons. The pair was treated to a private boat trip, given a chauffeur, and given access to their Sydney mansion as FitzSimons brokered Ms. Higgins’ $325,000 book deal.
The Revealed Texts
The texts, obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia, were sent between March 15 and May 3, 2021, in the months after Wilkinson’s interview with Ms. Higgins on The Project when she first made her allegations. The messages are part of an exchange revealed by Daily Mail Australia last week, during which FitzSimons, Ms. Higgins and Mr. Sharaz appeared to plot publicity for her lucrative publishing deal. The new messages show a close friendship forming between the group, which began when FitzSimons brokered the rights to Ms. Higgins’ memoir between major publishers Allen & Unwin, Hachette, and Penguin Random House.
FitzSimons’ Role as Literary Agent and Quasi-Literary Agent
The texts give insight into FitzSimons’ role as a quasi-literary agent for Ms. Higgins. They also call some of FitzSimons’ claims into question. He previously said Ms. Higgins planned to donate 50% of profits from her book sales to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. He said that he advised her not to donate the funds, but she ‘insisted.’ However, multiple messages appeared to show FitzSimons went out of his way to ensure details of the donation were published in an article by the same masthead about the book deal.
Friendship or Controversy?
The texts reveal how Ms. Higgins and her fiancé were brought into the powerful media couple’s inner sanctum. At one stage, FitzSimons told Ms. Higgins to let herself into his Cremorne mansion when no one was home – ‘you know the drill,’ he wrote. At another, Ms. Higgins thanked FitzSimons for taking ‘time out’ of his busy schedule to host them on a boat, noting the trip was ‘already a treasured memory’. The revelations have sparked discussions about whether these exchanges reveal a close friendship or controversy around FitzSimons’ role as a journalist and quasi-literary agent.
Implications of the Revealed Texts
The revealed texts raise questions about the intersection of friendship and professional relationships in the media industry. Did FitzSimons abuse his power and influence to broker Ms. Higgins’ deal with publishers and secure media attention for her cause? Or was this a case of genuine friendship offering support, mentorship and guidance to the young couple? The revelations present a cautionary tale about the potential mix of personal and professional ambitions in the media industry.
Conclusion
The friendship between Brittany Higgins, David Sharaz, Lisa Wilkinson, and Peter FitzSimons has been revealed through the newly obtained texts, sparking discussions about the intersection of friendship and professional relationships in the media industry. The texts raise important questions about the power dynamics between journalists and sources, as well as the importance of maintaining clear boundaries and ethical standards. Media professionals need to be aware of the potential pitfalls of blurring boundaries between work and friendship so that they can establish healthy and productive relationships with their sources without risking their professional integrity.
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