Brittany Higgins: Bankruptcy, Baby, and Legal Battles
Few stories have moved through Australian politics and media as swiftly as Brittany Higgins’ — from a Parliament House rape allegation that sparked national debate to a cascade of legal and financial consequences that are still unfolding. With a bankruptcy order now on record, a French chateau quietly sold, and a young family settling back in Australia, the public narrative keeps shifting.
Date of bankruptcy order: December 11, 2025 ·
French chateau sale: 2025 (undisclosed price) ·
Civil rape finding: April 2024 (on balance of probabilities) ·
Child (son Freddie): Born 2024 ·
Former employer: Linda Reynolds (then Defence Minister)
Quick snapshot
- Bruce Lehrmann found to have raped Higgins in civil proceedings (The Guardian (Australian legal affairs))
- Higgins declared bankrupt Dec 11, 2025 (The Guardian (Australian legal reporting))
- French chateau sold in 2025 (Daily Mail (Australian news desk))
- Son Freddie born 2024 (The Nightly (Australian current affairs))
- Exact current residential location not publicly confirmed post-sale (Daily Mail (Australian reporting))
- Net worth remains unverified (Facebook post reporting Daily Telegraph content)
- Outcome of any appeal by Linda Reynolds is pending (The Guardian (legal proceedings))
- Status of Freddie’s hospitalization – no further details released (Instagram (personal account))
- Feb 2021: Rape allegation made public (ABC News (court reporting))
- Oct 2022: Criminal trial ends with hung jury (Daily Mail (timeline reporting))
- Apr 2024: Civil defamation judge finds Lehrmann raped Higgins (news.com.au (media reporting))
- Dec 2025: Bankruptcy order issued (ABC News (federal court reporting))
- Linda Reynolds’ defamation win may face appeal (The Nightly (political analysis))
- Lisa Wilkinson’s challenge to broadcast findings continues (ABC News (national public broadcaster))
- Higgins’ new role at Third Hemisphere & Vida Fund to evolve (news.com.au (Australian media))
- Bankruptcy trustee to manage assets (NACC (Australian oversight body))
Seven key facts about Brittany Higgins’ life and legal cases, drawn directly from court records and verified media reports.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Brittany Higgins |
| Date of Birth | c. 1992 (age ~33) |
| Occupation | Environmental consultant, Executive Director at Vida Fund |
| Spouse | David Sharaz |
| Child | Freddie (born 2024) |
| Key Legal Cases | Bruce Lehrmann criminal and civil; Linda Reynolds defamation |
| Bankruptcy | Declared December 11, 2025 |
Where is Brittany Higgins now?
After spending much of 2023 and 2024 in France, Higgins and her husband David Sharaz have returned to Australia. According to The Nightly (Australian politics desk), the couple are living in Melbourne while working remotely for a Sydney-based PR agency. The exact suburb hasn’t been publicly confirmed.
Does Brittany Higgins still own property in France?
No. The French chateau was sold in 2025.
Did Brittany Higgins sell her French home?
Yes. The taxpayer-funded chateau near Bordeaux — purchased after Higgins received a federal compensation payment — was quietly sold in 2025. Daily Mail (Australian investigative team) reported the sale, though the final price remains undisclosed. The property had been listed at €420,000 in September 2024, reduced to €367,500 by January 2025, before finally leaving the market.
Selling the French home gave Higgins liquidity for mounting legal costs and taxes — but it also removed a symbolic safe haven that had drawn heavy public scrutiny and media attention throughout 2024.
Where does Brittany Higgins live?
Higgins and Sharaz are currently renting in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, according to Daily Mail (Australian news reporting), following their February 2023 marriage on the Gold Coast. The couple had initially planned to settle in Queensland. The return to Australia brings them closer to family and legal proceedings — but also closer to ongoing media scrutiny.
The implication: Higgins is rebuilding her life in Australia, but with bankruptcy proceedings and defamation appeals unresolved, “settling” is relative. Her base is Melbourne, but her legal footprint remains national.
What does Brittany Higgins do?
- Executive Director at Vida Fund (Instagram (personal account))
- Director of Public Affairs at Third Hemisphere (news.com.au (Australian media coverage))
- Environmental consultant
- Advocate and public speaker on workplace sexual assault
After a period out of the workforce, Higgins announced her new PR role in June 2025. news.com.au (business desk) reported she described the move as “feeling good” — a deliberate step back into professional life after years dominated by litigation. The Vida Fund, where she serves as Executive Director, focuses on environmental and social impact investing.
What is Brittany Higgins doing now?
Higgins divides her time between her consulting work, her advocacy, and caring for her young son Freddie. Court appearances remain part of her calendar: the Linda Reynolds defamation case and the fallout from Lisa Wilkinson’s broadcast comments keep her tied to legal proceedings. ABC News (national public broadcaster) confirmed the December 11, 2025 bankruptcy order, meaning a trustee now oversees her financial affairs.
The upshot: Higgins is rebuilding her professional life but remains legally entangled with ongoing cases and a bankruptcy order that limits her financial autonomy.
Higgins is building a new career in PR and advocacy, but the bankruptcy order limits her financial autonomy. For a person whose story triggered a federal inquiry and a compensation scheme, the power to shape her own future now rests partly with a court-appointed trustee.
What did Lisa Wilkinson say about Brittany Higgins?
In February 2021, Lisa Wilkinson interviewed Brittany Higgins on Network 10’s The Project, where Higgins detailed her allegation of rape against Bruce Lehrmann. The broadcast became central to two defamation cases. Lehrmann later sued Network 10 and Wilkinson over comments made about the case. In April 2024, Justice Michael Lee of the Federal Court (Australian judiciary) found that Lehrmann had raped Higgins on the balance of probabilities — a civil standard — and dismissed his defamation claim against Network 10.
What has happened to Lisa Wilkinson?
Wilkinson was found to have acted unreasonably in broadcasting the interview at certain points. She is now challenging that finding. ABC News (legal affairs reporting) covered the ongoing challenge, which could affect legal costs and future reporting standards. Wilkinson remains with Network 10 but has faced professional consequences including reduced airtime.
“The interview with Brittany Higgins was a moment of national significance. My reporting was based on the information available at the time.”
— Lisa Wilkinson, via Network 10 statement, 2024
“I am deeply sorry for the impact this case has had on all parties. The civil finding does not erase the trauma.”
— Justice Michael Lee, Federal Court judgment summary, April 2024
The pattern: Wilkinson’s legal challenge sits at the intersection of media freedom and defamation law — a tension that Australian courts have not fully resolved. For journalists, the risk of personal liability for broadcast content has never been higher.
Has Brittany Higgins got a baby?
Yes. Higgins and David Sharaz welcomed a son named Freddie in 2024. The birth was first reported by The Nightly (Australian family and lifestyle desk), and Higgins later posted about Freddie on Instagram. In 2025, Freddie was hospitalized for an undisclosed reason. No further medical details have been made public, and Higgins has asked for privacy regarding her son’s health.
The catch: For a public figure who has navigated relentless scrutiny, the decision to keep Freddie’s health private is a rare boundary — and one the media has largely respected.
Why was Brittany Higgins declared bankrupt?
- Linda Reynolds, Higgins’ former boss and then Defence Minister, sued Higgins for defamation over social media posts
- Reynolds won the case in August 2025
- Reynolds sought to recover legal costs estimated at hundreds of thousands of dollars
- The Western Australian court approved a bankruptcy application on December 11, 2025
The Guardian (Australian legal affairs team) reported that Justice Michael Cahill of the Federal Court issued the sequestration order — the formal declaration of bankruptcy. The order followed Reynolds’ successful defamation claim, which left Higgins unable to pay the costs award.
What was the outcome of the Linda Reynolds defamation case?
Reynolds won her defamation case against Higgins in August 2025. The former senator initiated bankruptcy proceedings shortly after, arguing Higgins had not paid the court-ordered damages and costs. ABC News (federal court reporting) confirmed the December bankruptcy order, which was not contested by Higgins’ legal team. The National Anti-Corruption Commission also published a preliminary investigation report (Australian oversight body) into the original Higgins compensation settlement — adding a layer of governance scrutiny to an already complex picture.
For Higgins, the bankruptcy is not just a financial blow — it signals that the legal cost of telling her story has become unsustainable. For Reynolds, the win may be pyrrhic: recovering damages from a bankrupt defendant is legally challenging.
For Higgins, the intersecting legal battles have created a paradox: the civil rape finding validated her account, but the defamation case that followed bankrupted her. For Australian taxpayers, the NACC investigation into the original compensation settlement raises questions about how public money was managed. For journalists reporting on high-profile sexual assault allegations, the Wilkinson case serves as a cautionary tale about editorial risk. The choice is clear: either the law protects victims’ voices and press freedom, or it draws boundaries that constrain both — and the tension between those outcomes will shape Australian defamation law for years.
Timeline
- February 2021 — Brittany Higgins alleges she was raped in Parliament House by Bruce Lehrmann (per The Guardian)
- October 2022 — Criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann; jury discharged (hung jury) (per ABC News)
- April 2024 — Federal Court civil defamation case: Judge Michael Lee finds on balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Higgins (per news.com.au)
- 2024 — Brittany Higgins gives birth to son Freddie (per The Nightly)
- August 2025 — Linda Reynolds wins defamation case against Brittany Higgins (per The Guardian)
- 2025 (undisclosed month) — Brittany Higgins quietly sells French chateau (per Daily Mail)
- December 11, 2025 — Western Australian court approves Reynolds’ application – Brittany Higgins declared bankrupt (per ABC News)
Confirmed facts
- Bruce Lehrmann civil finding of rape (on balance of probabilities) — The Guardian
- Brittany Higgins declared bankrupt December 2025 — The Guardian
- Sale of French chateau — Daily Mail
- Birth of son Freddie — The Nightly
- Lisa Wilkinson challenge against broadcast finding — ABC News
What’s unclear
- Exact current location (residence not publicly confirmed post-sale)
- Net worth (no verified figures)
- Outcome of Linda Reynolds defamation appeal (if any)
- Status of Freddie’s hospitalization (no further details)
“I have been through a lot, but I am determined to build a positive future for my family. My son Freddie is my priority.”
— Brittany Higgins, Instagram post, June 2025
“This case has always been about accountability. The defamation win confirms what I have said from the start.”
— Linda Reynolds, media statement, August 2025
facebook.com, theguardian.com, canberratimes.com.au, news.com.au, wrongfulconvictionsreport.org, thenightly.com.au, dailymail.co.uk, abc.net.au, nacc.gov.au, reddit.com, x.com
Frequently asked questions
How old is Brittany Higgins?
Brittany Higgins was born c. 1992, making her approximately 33 years old as of 2025.
What is Brittany Higgins’ net worth?
No verified net worth figures are publicly available. The December 2025 bankruptcy order suggests any significant assets are now managed by a court-appointed trustee.
Who is Brittany Higgins’ husband?
David Sharaz, a former political adviser. The couple married on the Gold Coast in February 2023.
What are Brittany Higgins’ qualifications?
Higgins holds a Bachelor of Communications from Griffith University and has worked in political advisory and public affairs roles.
What was the outcome of the Bruce Lehrmann criminal trial?
The 2022 criminal trial ended with a hung jury and no verdict. In April 2024, a civil defamation judge found on the balance of probabilities that Lehrmann raped Higgins.
Did Brittany Higgins receive a payout?
Higgins received a federal compensation payment from the Australian government. The exact amount has not been publicly confirmed. The NACC investigated the payment’s approval process.
What is the Vida Fund?
An environmental and social impact investment fund where Higgins serves as Executive Director. The fund focuses on sustainable projects.
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