Nine issues apology for false "upskirt" claims
Nine has issued an apology and hefty defamation payout to former federal MP Andrew Laming after accusing him of “upskirting a woman”.
The media publication ran a series on the Queenslander in March 2021 where they accused him of harassing a woman in her workplace and taking photos from under her skirt.
Before legal proceedings began, Mr Laming asked Nine to remove the stories from their platforms, issue a public apology and pay his legal fees.
Nine went on to win a prestigious Walkley Award in the television/video news reporting category and refused Mr Laming’s requests.
This led to the former federal MP to take Nine to court for defamation that had caused him “hurt and humiliation”.
The details of the win are yet to be made public but it is estimated that Mr Laming’s court fees cost around the $1 million mark.
Mr Laming issued a statement following the court win, revealing that Nine has finally acknowledged their mistake.
“Nine’s apology to me has just been read on to the record in the Federal Court,” his statement read.
“The broadcaster has finally acknowledged that allegations they broadcast last year were not true.
“I was denied that due process and a fair hearing in the media, but it has come today.
“Two weeks ago, Nine dropped all of its defences to my claim. Today it acknowledged seeing material convincing it to unreservedly withdraw the serious allegations it made; and to publicly apologise to me and my family. It is highly commendable that they, like many senior political and media figures previously, have agreed to right wrongs and apologise when presented with the facts.
“As I stated over a year ago, the stream of bizarre allegations came from political critics. None of it was true. The hurt and humiliation was borne by my family, my friends and work colleagues. At the time, there was no media interest in any facts that might threaten that narrative.
“I leave today with confidence in our defamation laws and our courts. Australians can remain proud of our free press that requires the media to report matters of public interest in a fair and balanced way. And when mistakes are made, as they were in my case, correct the record and apologise.”
Image: Twitter