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Never-before-seen text messages reveal how Brittany Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz were welcomed into the lavish world of media power couple Lisa Wilkinson and Peter FitzSimons.
The pair were treated to a private boat trip, a chauffeur, and given access to their Sydney mansion as FitzSimons, the high-profile newspaper columnist and author, brokered Ms Higgins’ $325,000 book deal.
The texts, obtained exclusively by Daily Mail Australia, were sent between March 15 and May 3, 2021 – in the months after Wilkinson’s interview with Ms Higgins’ on The Project, when she first alleged Bruce Lehrmann raped her in 2019.
Mr Lehrmann has always maintained his innocence.
The messages are part of an exchange revealed by Daily Mail Australia last week, during which FitzSimons, Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz appeared to plot publicity for her lucrative publishing deal.
The new messages show a close friendship forming between the group, which began when FitzSimons brokered the rights to Ms Higgins’ memoir between major publishers Allen & Unwin, Hatchett, and Penguin Random House.
On March 15 – just hours after Wilkinson stood by Ms Higgins’ side as she detailed her rape allegations to a crowd of 5,000 at a women’s ‘March 4 Justice’ rally – FitzSimons texted her to say: ‘Offer now up to $200K to $250K! With Allen & Unwin’.
Peter FitzSimons is pictured with his wife, Lisa Wilkinson – a power couple in the Australian media landscape
Brittany Higgins is pictured with her fiancé, David Sharaz. The pair were treated to a boat ride with Wilkinson and FitzSimons
Ms Higgins would eventually receive a $325,000 advance from Penguin Random House, a court was told, although the book is yet to be released after the rape trial was abandoned.
Newly-obtained texts also show how Ms Higgins and her fiancé were brought into the powerful media couple’s inner sanctum.
At one stage, FitzSimons told Ms Higgins to let herself into his Cremorne mansion when no one was home – ‘you know the drill,’ he wrote.
At another, Ms Higgins thanked FitzSimons for taking ‘time out out’ of his busy schedule to host them on a boat, noting the trip was ‘already a treasured memory’.
‘A great pleasure XO,’ FitzSimons replied.
He also offered the young couple access to the invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge at Sydney Airport, as well as a chauffeur from the terminal.
The texts give an insight into FitzSimons role as a quasi literary agent for Ms Higgins.
The messages also call some of FitzSimons’ claims into question. He previously said Ms Higgins planned to donate 50 per cent of profits from her book sales to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.
He said that he advised her not to donate the funds, but she ‘insisted’.
However, multiple messages appeared to show FitzSimons, who writes columns for Sydney Morning Herald and the Herald Sun, went out of his way to ensure details of the donation was published in an article by the same masthead about the book deal.
FitzSimons told Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz that Allen & Unwin offered up to $250,000 to publish her memoir (pictured: a mock-up of the texts)
FitzSimons then told Ms Higgins she could get more than $250,000 (mock up of the message, pictured)
The lengthy exchange began with a message from FitzSimons on March 15, 2021 – on the day his wife supported Ms Higgins at the women’s rally, which was also exactly a month after The Project interview.
In the hours after she stood at Capital Hill and told a roaring crowd ‘I was raped inside Parliament House by a colleague’, FitzSimons texted Ms Higgins to say prospective book publishers were upping their offers.
He wrote: ‘Here is the good news. Offer now up to $200K to $250K! With Allen & Unwin.
Referring to articles published in the SMH on March 15 about the women’s rally, he added: ‘[SIC] Brittney, if you are having second thoughts about my piece do let me [SIC] now.’
Mr Sharaz replied: ‘Holy hell! Okay, make sure you sign something this week?’
Ms Higgins said: ‘Wow, that’s genuinely absurd. Thank you for helping me. I wouldn’t have had the faintest idea how to go about brokering something like this without you.’
FitzSimons went on to say the SMH wanted to publish the speech she delivered to the women’s rally and asked her to send him the written version, before he shifted the conversation back to the book offers.
‘With an offer like this, can I suggest you come to Sydney asap, do the deal, and LOCK IT IN,’ he wrote.
‘The offer is now between $200 and $250K – you might possibly get more. But the time to strike is now, and ideally [SIC] tomoz or Wednesday. What I need now is the text of your speech asap? Thank you!’
FitzSimons told Ms Higgins to let herself into his mansion once she landed in Sydney (mock up of the message, pictured)
FitzSimons offered the couple access to the Chairman’s Lounge at Sydney Airport (mock up of the message, pictured)
Ms Higgins thanked FitzSimons for taking her and Mr Sharaz on a boat ride (mock up of the message, pictured)
Ms Higgins speech was published in the SMH, in full, the following day on March 16, 2021.
The conversation started again a month later, on April 13, when SMH journalist Melanie Kembrey found out about Ms Higgins’ hefty book advance and approached FitzSimons for confirmation – in an exchange previously detailed by Daily Mail Australia.
Now, more texts from the same exchange can be revealed.
FitzSimons told the pair how he was stressed about his new book – to which Ms Higgins said she hoped the cover was ‘Lisa and Billi approved’ – referencing Wilkinson and their daughter, Billi FitzSimons.
Ms Higgins then spoke about a retreat she signed up for, noting she had ‘a lot of time to myself … There was no reception and no distractions. It was a great space to really get into the book’.
Shifting the conversation back to the impending SMH article about her memoir and large advance, she asked FitzSimons to background Ms Kembrey, about her Canberra Rape Crisis Centre donation.
He replied: ‘Melanie, whoever she is, very nice and very supportive. No quotes from me, and I said that I would be surprised if you wanted to be quoted.’
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‘I said the key determinant was the time they allowed you, that you knocked their socks off, and that – against my advice – you INSISTED on committing to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.
Pictured: Lisa Wilkinson with Brittany Higgins. Ms Higgins was interviewed by Wilkinson on The Project in 2021
‘I gave her no detail on money, but her sources now say “in the ballpark of $250K”.’
Ms Higgins sent a ‘laughing’ reaction to FitzSimons message, before Mr Sharaz chimed in: ‘Brittany told me that conversation with you too. I laughed very hard haha.’
FitzSimons then sent two messages reiterating that the SMH would publish Ms Higgins’ donation pledge: ‘Yes, I can tell her “50% after advance” to Rape Crisis Centre.’
Two minutes later, he wrote again: ‘IN fact, better just as “committed big chunk to Canberra Rape Crisis Centre” with no particular detail.’
At 5.16pm on April 13, an SMH article confirming Ms Higgins’ book deal – incorrectly stating the advance was worth $250,000 – and outlining her planned donations to the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre.
In that same article it was reported that Ms Higgins insisted on the charity donation, against FitzSimons ‘ advice.
Ten minutes after the article was published online, Ms Higgins sent the link to FitzSimons and said: ‘Well, they’ve certainly got the friendship part right. Thanks for your help Peter X.’
Another group chat started at 11.50am on April 29, 2021, before Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz flew to Sydney from their home in Brisbane.
FitzSimons told the couple: ‘Mr Omar will be there picking up a dear friend of mine, Bobby, and coming this way if you want a lift and don’t mind sharing? X.’
Mr Sharaz responded to say his flight had been delayed by an hour, and explained Ms Higgins was already in Sydney and in need of a computer to ‘do some work’.
FitzSimons said: ‘Brittany come straight here. House empty you know the drill. Mr Omar will be in the city at 12.30 after dropping me and can grab you if that suits? X.’
She thanked him for the offer, but decided to sightsee in Sydney instead before catching up with them in the afternoon.
Pictured: A birds-eye view of Wilkinson and FitzSimons’ Cremorne mansion in Sydney
Four days later, FitzSimons sent another text at about 6.30pm: ‘Brittany, David, the Chairmans Lounge apparently chokka, but they are expecting you in the Qantas Business Lounge if you’d like to go there? X.’
The Qantas Chairman’s Lounge is an invitation-only area of Sydney Airport frequented by A-list celebrities, CEOs and senior politicians. It includes private suites, showers with bathrobes, a buffet table and an a la carte menu.
Ms Higgins replied: ‘Oh, you are a saint, Thank you.’
‘Also, once again we are so grateful that you took the time out of your busy schedule to host us and take us out on the boat. It’s already a treasured memory X.’
FitzSimons responded ‘a great pleasure XO’ – which Mr Sharaz responded to with a ‘love’ reaction.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted FitzSimons for comment.
The ACT Supreme Court heard Wilkinson and FitzSimons told Ms Higgins about the book deal and the large advance via text message on March 16, 2021.
The court heard Ms Higgins responded: ‘I am blown away.
‘Yes I can absolutely do this … I’ve had the chapters outlined for the last month or so.’
The court also heard Ms Higgins started outlining the chapters for the book before she made a formal statement about her alleged rape to police.
Mr Lehrmann had pleaded not guilty in a jury trial in the ACT Supreme Court in October last year and continues to maintain his innocence.
His trial was discontinued due to a juror doing independent research. The sexual assault charge against Mr Lehrmann was later dropped by Shane Drumgold, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, amid concerns over Ms Higgins’ mental health.
Shane Drumgold has subsequently requested leave from his position until June 13 with deputy Anthony Williamson SC replacing him as the ongoing fallout into the matter continues.
