Leaked messages show Peter FitzSimons spun Brittany Higgins book deal news
The Nine columnist, who acted as a de facto book agent for Brittany Higgins, seemed to alert her a reporter had received details of her $325,000 payment.
Nine newspaper columnist Peter FitzSimons reportedly negotiated with Brittany Higgins and her partner, David Sharaz, about how the outlets he worked for would report the six-figure advance Ms Higgins received for a book deal.
Screenshots published in the Daily Mail appeared to show a group chat exchange between Mr FitzSimons, Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz in April 2021, after the columnist said he had received communication from a Nine newspapers reporter about the size of Ms Higgins’ advance.
Mr FitzSimons had earlier volunteered to be a de facto book agent for Ms Higgins after she first came out with her Parliament House rape allegations.
“They clearly have a source from one of the publishers that didn’t get over the line,” a purported message from Mr FitzSimons read.
“They know little detail. But, much better that they break it than News Limited. It won’t have a negative spin.”
News Corp Australia is the publisher of this masthead.
The published screenshots showed continued dialogue.
“It might be good for me to background [the reporter] that you are committing a big chunk to Rape Crisis Centre?” Mr FitzSimons sent.
Ms Higgins responded: “Yes please. That would be wonderful!”
Mr Sharaz followed up: “Just make sure we don’t confirm the large advance. Don’t want them thinking you’re making millions etc?”
Mr FitzSimons said: “[The reporter] said to me, she believed it was $400K. I said, ‘Nothing like that!’ I will talk her down.”
The report said the exchange took place on April 13, 2021. The Nine newspapers reported later that day that Ms Higgins received an “estimated” $250,000 advance for her deal with Penguin Random House, and included the detail that Ms Higgins made a “contractual commitment” to donate half her royalties to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.
Details later emerged in court proceedings that Ms Higgins received a $325,000 advance.
The book, not yet published, is a memoir of Ms Higgins’ account of her alleged rape in Parliament House in 2019.
Bruce Lehrmann, whom she accused of rape, has repeatedly denied charges. The first criminal trial was aborted due to juror misconduct and the ACT DPP chose not to proceed with a second trial, citing concern for Ms Higgins’ health.
The Australian revealed earlier this year that Ms Higgins’ former boss, former frontbencher Senator Linda Reynolds, in whose parliamentary office Ms Higgins alleged Mr Lehrmann raped her, has written to Penguin Random House warning against any defamatory references to the senator in Ms Higgins’ memoir.
Mr FitzSimons, when contacted for comment, chose not to confirm or deny the published texts. However, he asked that it not be implied he made financial gains from helping Ms Higgins.
“Whatever you write, do not imply in any way that I made a cent out of helping them,” he told The Australian. “As I most firmly did not take a cent.”
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