Ex-Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach sues Seven Network in Federal Court

The former Spotlight producer who gave bombshell evidence in Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial has lodged shock legal proceedings against his former employer.

Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach, who gave explosive evidence during Bruce Lehrmann’s blockbuster defamation trial against Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson, has filed legal action against the Seven Network.

Mr Auerbach, now the head of media relations firm Bubbles Media, lodged defamation proceedings in the Federal Court last Friday, public records reveal.

No orders have been set and a hearing date has not been listed.

The new legal action follows Mr Auerbach last year sending a concerns notice over alleged comments made by a number of Seven executives.

Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach has lodged defamation proceedings against his former employer, Network Seven. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

News.com.au reported the concerns notice names Seven chief executive James Warburton, Kerry Stokes’ longstanding right-hand man Bruce McWilliam and producer and blogger Robert McKnight – referring to alleged comments made over details from the programs explosive interview with Mr Lehrmann.

Mr Auerbach filed a bombshell affidavit during Mr Lehrmann’s defamation trial where he alleged the Seven Network covered Lehrmann’s costs for sex workers, illegal drugs, a round of golf and meals, one of which included a $361 Tomahawk steak.

He also claimed in his affidavit Seven also reimbursed Mr Lehrmann for money used to visit a brothel and pay for drugs in January 2023 – however said there were no copies of the invoice.

Mr Auerbach was a senior producer at Spotlight for two years from August 2021.

He said in his affidavit that his job ended in August 2023 at the expiry of his employment agreement and that “I made claim against Seven for psychological injury in which I settled on confidential terms.”

Mr Auerbach gave bombshell evidence during Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial about Seven covering Mr Lehrmann’s expenses for sex workers and illegal drugs. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Giles George, the law firm representing Mr Auerbach, and the Seven Network have been contacted for comment.

In a statement at the time, Seven said the network “acted appropriately at all times” and “did not condone or authorise the alleged payments” to Mr Lehrmann referred to in the affidavits.

Last year, Justice Michael Lee last year dismissed Mr Lehrmann’s high-stakes lawsuit against Network Ten and Ms Wilkinson after he found – on the civil standard of the balance of probabilities – that the former political staffer had raped former colleague Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in March 2019.

Bruce Lehrmann is appealing his defamation loss. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

He found “Mr Lehrmann was hell-bent on having sex” and “he did not care one way or another whether Ms Higgins understood or agreed to what was going on”.

Mr Lehrmann claimed he had been defamed by an interview aired on The Project interview, where Ms Higgins alleged she was raped by a colleague after a night out drinking in Canberra.

Mr Lehrmann stood trial in the ACT Supreme Court in 2022 after pleading not guilty to sexually assaulting Ms Higgins, but the trial was aborted due to juror misconduct.

The charges were subsequently dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions due to concerns about Ms Higgins’ mental health.

Mr Lehrmann has consistently maintained his innocence and told the court that no sexual contact occurred.

An appeal against Justice Lee’s decision remains before the court.

Originally published as Ex-Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach sues Seven Network in Federal Court