Former Channel 7 Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach has launched legal proceedings against the Seven Network, claiming the broadcaster made disparaging remarks about him prior to his appearance as a witness in Bruce Lehrmann’s high-profile defamation case.
Federal Court public records show Auerbach filed the suit on Friday, although the full documents are yet to be made public.
Auerbach’s current legal action against Seven appears to stem from alleged comments or actions by the network that he believes may have breached a non-disparagement clause tied to his previous settlement.
Auerbach was previously employed as a producer at Sky News Australia but claimed in an affidavit filed during the Lehrmann case that he was dismissed in March 2023 due to media reports linked to his role in the defamation proceedings. He had earlier settled a psychological injury claim against Seven on confidential terms.
His testimony during the Lehrmann case proved explosive. Auerbach alleged that Seven went to extraordinary lengths to secure exclusive interviews with Lehrmann, including reimbursing him for sex workers and cocaine. The court also heard that Seven paid Lehrmann’s rent—reportedly up to $100,000 for 12 months—under the interview arrangement.
Justice Michael Lee, who ultimately dismissed Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson, described Auerbach as becoming Lehrmann’s “babysitter” or “minder” during this period. Although Lee did not make detailed findings about Auerbach’s claims, he did suggest Lehrmann had been “less than candid” about the benefits he received in exchange for the interview deal.
This latest development follows mounting controversy at Seven. In late 2023 and early 2024, B&T reported extensively on internal unrest at Seven, with a Four Corners exposé revealing a toxic culture at the network. That investigation alleged widespread sexual harassment, gender and disability discrimination, and bullying.
In September 2024, former Spotlight journalist Amelia Saw filed a lawsuit under the Fair Work Act, alleging a hostile working environment for women at Seven. Justice Nye Perram ordered both parties into mediation. In a judgment made in the Federal Court in January, Justice Perram confirmed that the case had been settled as a result of a “successful mediation” held before a registrar of the court.
These incidents have prompted significant changes within Seven’s leadership. In November 2024, news chief Craig McPherson departed, and Anthony De Ceglie assumed the role, implementing a “no d**kheads” policy to address internal issues. De Ceglie also called for government support for journalism, urging the abolition of the commercial TV broadcast tax to enable the hiring of more journalists and combat misinformation.
The legal action marks another dramatic turn in the saga surrounding Lehrmann’s defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson that concluded in April last year. After a long and delayed trial, Justice Michael Lee finally handed down his verdict, declaring that on the balance of probabilities, Lehrmann did rape Higgins in Parliament House on that fateful night in 2019. Lee claimed that Lehrmann was “hellbent on having sex with a woman he found attractive” and was aware that Higgins was intoxicated and, therefore, not in a state to provide consent.
Based on this, Justice Lee dismissed the case, siding in favour of Network 10 and Lisa Wilkinson. B&T understands that Lehrmann is currently engaged in having this ruling overturned and the case reopened. In October last year the Federal Court declined to order Lehrmann, who is now unemployed, to pay $200,000 in security as requested by Network Ten and Wilkinson to cover some of the costs of the legal battle. This decision paves the way for Lehrmann to move forward with his challenge.
Network Seven declined to comment on the matter as it is currently before the courts.
