Lisa Wilkinson sues Channel Ten
Australian television personality Lisa Wilkinson is taking legal action against her former employer, Network 10, in a dispute that revolves around an alleged breach of agreement concerning the payment of legal costs incurred in their ongoing defamation case initiated by Bruce Lehrmann.
According to a recent report by The Daily Telegraph, Network 10 is refusing to cover two invoices totalling $723,000 for legal services that Wilkinson acquired when she hired prominent barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC and Gillis Delaney Lawyers partner Anthony Jefferies earlier this year.
This decision by Wilkinson to engage her legal team instead of utilising Network 10's retained law firm, Thomson Geer, appears to be at the heart of the dispute.
Wilkinson, a well-known media figure in Australia, left The Project in November 2022, citing being subjected to "targeted toxicity". This departure marked the beginning of a series of legal and professional challenges that have now culminated in her suing Network 10 in the New South Wales Supreme Court.
Wilkinson's legal action claims that Network 10 had accepted liability to indemnify her in the defamation case, regardless of whether she chose to be "independently represented" or not. Network 10 has responded to these allegations by emphasising the importance of due process in justifying the substantial legal invoices. They expressed that their primary focus remains on defending the defamation suit brought by Bruce Lehrmann.
Lehrmann is suing Network 10, Lisa Wilkinson, and the ABC for defamation in connection with their reporting of a sexual assault allegation made by Brittany Higgins in 2019. Lehrmann alleges that Wilkinson's interview with Higgins on The Project, which aired on February 15, 2021, conveyed a series of defamatory meanings, including the accusation that he had raped Higgins in then-defense industry minister Linda Reynolds' office in 2019. Despite the legal challenges, Wilkinson's interview with Higgins garnered critical acclaim, earning her two Walkley Award nominations and a Logie Award.
After her departure from The Project, Paramount Australia executive vice president Beverley McGarvey indicated that they had plans for Wilkinson's future, expressing optimism about continuing their relationship with the renowned journalist. However, Wilkinson has not been seen on air since then, and her contractual obligations with Network 10 are reported to extend into the next year, with a deal rumoured to be worth seven figures.
Images: Instagram