Brittany Higgins ‘stress grabbed’ $90 Bollinger bottle

Brittany Higgins’ partner, David Sharaz, informed Channel Ten ahead of the program’s airing that he could arrange for The Project to film a leather couch resembling the one where his partner was allegedly assaulted in a Labor MP’s office. Sharaz claimed he had influential contacts willing to cooperate.

These discussions were extensively documented in numerous text messages sent by Mr. Sharaz to a Ten producer collaborating with Lisa Wilkinson in the days leading up to the broadcast.

The messages also delve into Ms. Higgins’ reaction of “stress grabbing” a $90 bottle of Bollinger from a hotel room bar fridge after her conversation with Ms. Wilkinson. Additionally, they shed light on Channel Ten’s efforts to extend counseling services to Ms. Higgins.

On February 3, 2021, at 6 am, Mr. Sharaz messaged the Channel Ten producer, Angus Llewellyn, expressing his capability to enlist the assistance of an unnamed Labor MP for covertly filming a couch. The identity of this mysterious MP remains undisclosed.

“Hey mate, reaching out again. If you’re in need of an MPs office for discreet filming, I’ve got some favors owed by certain Labor MPs. I believe they wouldn’t mind allowing us to film their couch, etc. (they’re all quite similar),” Mr. Sharaz wrote.

“Recognizing you might have your own channels, I just wanted to extend this offer to you.

On January 29, 2021, Mr. Sharaz and Mr. Llewellyn engaged in a dialogue spanning more than 40 messages throughout the day, beginning at 8 am and concluding at 4 pm.

During the same day, Mr. Sharaz expressed concerns that The Project might not proceed without an active police complaint. He conveyed, “To be honest, Britt is unnerved. She’s anxious that without police involvement, you might not go ahead with this. She’s in a tough spot, so I can’t really inquire with her at the moment.”

Channel Ten’s producer, Angus Llewellyn, responded, “That’s understandable. Currently, I have a lot of groundwork to cover, but we are committed to running this story. We’d also like to extend psychological support to B. When is she seeking someone?”

On February 5, 2021, Ms. Higgins contacted the police via email, and the following day, she visited a police station in Canberra, informing them of her media interview.

On the same day, Mr. Sharaz communicated again, stating, “Hey mate, all is well. Britt went to the police today. Her file is secured but has been reopened.” He continued, “They’re holding off on any actions until after the media coverage, but they wouldn’t provide a written document. They mentioned they would likely confirm that something occurred if questioned.”

“Is that helpful? Now that Britt’s left, I assume you’ll initiate the efforts for comments, etc.?” he inquired.

“Yes, but not too soon. We don’t want to trigger anything