Brittany Higgins says she will be forced to sell French home to fight Senator Linda Reynolds’ defamation case

Brittany Higgins says she will have to sell her French home to pay for her million-dollar defence in a defamation case brought by Senator Linda Reynolds.

Ahead of the trial starting in Perth next month, Ms Higgins said she will be “forced to sell her home in order to defend herself again” despite securing a $2.4 million compensation payout after she claimed damages over the alleged rape of her by Bruce Lehrmann in 2019.

Ms Higgins could have to pay her legal fees and those of Senator Reynolds if she loses the court battle, leaving her millions out of pocket.

She confirmed that she will have to sell her home in the French countryside to pay her lawyers.

“This will be Brittany’s third court case and one of numerous legal processes surrounding her rape at Parliament House,” a spokesperson for Ms Higgins said in a statement provided to news.com.au.

“The legal costs have already amounted to well over a million dollars and will continue to grow with the defamation action brought about by Senator Reynolds.

“The price of speaking out about sexual assault remains unspeakably high. Brittany is now forced to sell her home in order to defend herself again.”

The statement comes after Senator Reynolds won the right to access the secret details of Ms Higgins’ multimillion dollar trust fund last week — opening the way for her to potentially have the trust set aside and claim the funds.

Ms Reynolds said Ms Higgins’ intention in putting the money there was to “defraud future creditors”, which could include her if her defamation action against her former staffer is successful.

In an immediate judgement which will be a major blow for Ms Higgins ahead of the defamation trial, WA Chief Justice Peter Quinlan said Ms Reynolds did have a right to be given the details of the trustee.

Ms Higgins’ new lawyer Rachael Young SC — who is the barrister who will also fight for her in that defamation trial — said Ms Reynolds’ claim of being a potential creditor was “so devoid of merit as to be speculative”.

The defamation trial is due to start on August 2.