Media star Erin Molan and Daily Mail Australia settle defamation case after two years

There has been a surprising outcome in the two-year long defamation battle between Erin Molan and Daily Mail.

The high-profile legal battle between journalist Erin Molan and Daily Mail Australia has been settled without any payment of damages after a $150,000 award was overturned.

At a Federal Court mediation hearing on Thursday, the commentator and publication mutually agreed to resolve the defamation proceedings after more than two years in court.

“Both parties are happy with the resolution of the proceedings, which involved each party paying their own costs, but did not involve Daily Mail Australia paying any damages to Ms Molan,” Daily Mail Australia said in a statement.

Erin Molan has settled her defamation case against Daily Mail Australia. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

The Sky News and 2Day FM host sued the online publisher for defamation over an article and two tweets from 2020 which she claimed falsely portrayed her as racist and “an arrogant woman of white privilege”.

The publications were based in part on Ms Molan saying “hooka looka mooka hooka fooka” in a discussion about Polynesian names during a radio segment in May 2020.

The TV host was awarded a $150,000 payout in the Federal Court in August 2022 after Judge Robert Bromwich determined Daily Mail lacked “responsibility and basic professionalism” in publishing the article.

The significant award was overturned after the publication lodged a successful appeal which found the judge had not considered all of the evidence.

The TV host claimed the articles falsely implied she was racist. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The defamation case was due to be re-heard before a judge later this year, but instead it was resolved on Thursday.

Ms Molan’s lawyers have been contacted for comment.

The journalist made a public apology after the article came out in which she said she would never “intentionally offend anybody or hurt anyone’s feelings”.