By Riley Walter
Former political staffer Brittany Higgins and her ex-journalist husband David Sharaz have welcomed their first child.
Higgins, a former Liberal adviser, and Sharaz announced the birth of their son in an Instagram post on Sunday night.
Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz married last year.Credit: Instagram
“A huge thank-you to the amazing midwives, nurses and doctors for their care and kindness,” Higgins wrote alongside pictures of her son clasping her hand.
“We’re both looking forward to getting to dote on the newest member of the family – forever grateful for all the love and support we’ve received.”
The couple purchased a home in rural France after Higgins settled a civil claim against the Commonwealth for $2.4 million. Higgins has said she received about $1.9 million after legal fees and taxes.
She received the payment after the ACT rape trial of her former colleague, Bruce Lehrmann, was aborted in October 2022 due to juror misconduct, and the charges against him were later dropped altogether owing to concerns about Higgins’ mental health. Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence.
Lehrmann last year lost his multimillion-dollar defamation suit against the Ten Network and presenter Lisa Wilkinson over an interview with his former colleague Brittany Higgins that aired on The Project in February 2021.
Federal Court Justice Michael Lee dismissed the defamation case because he found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann had raped Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. Lee subsequently ordered Lehrmann to pay $2 million to the Ten Network to cover some of the costs of its successful defence. Lehrmann has filed an appeal against Lee’s decision.
Higgins and Sharaz have since listed their French home for sale to cover the legal costs of defending defamation action brought against Higgins by Liberal senator Linda Reynolds in the WA Supreme Court.
Higgins and Sharaz reportedly plan to live in Melbourne with their son to be close to friends. The couple, who married last year on the Gold Coast, did not reveal their son’s name.
Figures including youth activist Yasmin Poole and Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young congratulated Higgins and Sharaz after their announcement.
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