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Higgins: Defamation cases silence women speaking out
4 Jun
Summary
- Documentary 'Silenced' opened the Sydney Film Festival.
- Higgins felt unsafe during legal battles and stalked.
- Defamation cases are used globally to silence women.
A new documentary titled 'Silenced,' focused on violence against women, premiered at the Sydney Film Festival.
Brittany Higgins shared in the film her decision to keep her name after marriage, expressing pride in her identity. She also spoke candidly about the profound emotional toll of the legal battles, including feeling unsafe and stalked by media.
The documentary, which includes interviews with Amber Heard and is based on Jennifer Robinson's book, argues that defamation cases are a global tactic to suppress women's voices on gender-based violence. Higgins recounted the intense stress of court preparation and the impact on her mental health, which nearly led to her taking her own life.
She detailed experiences of media intrusion, even while living abroad, and threats made against her dog. Lehrmann's attempts to challenge his defamation case loss were dismissed in April 2024. Higgins expressed hope for recovery and feeling okay again.
