Nine faces $1m payout over false Andrew Laming ‘upskirt’ allegations

One of the country’s biggest media organisations could be forced to pay an eye-watering sum over its coverage of a controversial ex-MP.

A sensational news report about a divisive former politician could end up costing one of Australia’s leading media networks more than $1 million.

Last March, Nine ran a report on former federal MP Andrew Laming after he was falsely accused of taking an “upskirting” picture of Queensland woman Crystal White without her consent.

At the time, it was alleged that the then-Bowman MP took the photo of the 29-year-old while she was on her knees stacking a bar fridge.

Police received a formal complaint, but Dr Laming was never charged, and he has strenuously denied the allegations.

Since then, Dr Laming has launched defamation proceedings against Nine, which could add up to an eye-watering figure.

Andrew Laming launched defamation proceedings against Nine last year. Picture: Sam Mooy/Getty Images

In fact, legal sources have speculated that Nine could be facing a payout of more than $1 million in total, including general damages, aggravated damages and special damages on top of legal costs.

A Nine spokesman told news.com.au the organisation did not “intend to comment while the matter remains before the courts”.

But last week, Nine amended its defence in the Federal Court, just six weeks before it was set to go to trial.

According to the amended documents in question, Nine has withdrawn the most crucial claims included in the original news report, including that Dr Laming had taken the lewd picture of Ms White.

It also mentioned that Dr Laming was “entitled to damages” as a result of the report’s defamatory imputations of the former politician, and Nine has now withdrawn its “truth” defence relating to the upskirting allegation.

It has also dropped its defences of “qualified privilege” and “honest opinion”.

The about-face is all the more shocking given journalists Peter Fegan and Rebeka Powell won a prestigious Walkley Award – one of Australian journalism’s highest honours – earlier this year in the television/video news reporting category for their coverage.

The story was subsequently picked up by a slew of other media organisations and high-profile reporters, including the ABC’s Louise Milligan and The Project’s Lisa Wilkinson.

In June, Wilkinson publicly apologised to Dr Laming for any “hurt and offence caused to him” after she accused him of taking an inappropriate photo of a woman in an earlier tweet.

“In March 2021 I published a tweet about Andrew Laming,” she tweeted.

Lisa Wilkinson tweeted an apology to former QLD MP Andrew Laming in June. Picture: Channel 10

“I now accept that the claim made about Dr Laming in that tweet was false and defamatory.”

“I unconditionally withdraw that claim and apologise to Dr Laming for any hurt and offence caused to him by reason of my conduct.”

Walkley Foundation chief executive Shona Martyn said in a statement that the Foundation “is aware that this matter is before the courts and will monitor the situation accordingly”.

News.com.au contacted Dr Laming for comment.

Both Dr Laming and Nine will take part in mediation on Friday.

Mr Laming stepped down from politics in March last year after allegations of harassment were aired by Nine News.

“I will step down from all parliamentary roles effective immediately and complete both the counselling courses I committed to; as well as additional clinical counselling, and ask for privacy while that is completed,” the statement said.

The former LNP backbencher previously told news.com.au he had been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD by a psychiatrist.