Brittany Higgins poses for selfies in the same dress she wore on the night of her alleged rape – as texts reveal how Bruce Lehrmann desperately tried to convince his girlfriend not to dump him as he hit rock bottom

EXCLUSIVE

These are the bathroom selfies Brittany Higgins sent to her ex-boyfriend wearing a white cocktail dress – just weeks after wearing it the night she claims Bruce Lehrmann raped her.

The photographs were part of a package of documents uploaded to the Federal Court website on Tuesday afternoon, amid Lerman’s libel trial against Lisa Wilkinson and Network Ten.

A series of messages Mr Lehrmann sent to his ex-girlfriend while he was in a mental hospital was also revealed – two days after Ms Higgins first went public with her rape allegations in early 2021.

Ms Higgins was cross-examined about the white dress in court on Friday, during which she admitted telling police on February 6, 2021, that she kept it in a bag under her bed for six months before taking it out, washing it and wearing it once.

She brought the same claim in the ACT Supreme Court during Lehrmann’s criminal trial last year before she was forced to admit it had not been under her bed for six months because she wore it to work on May 16, 2019.

Ms Higgins admitted last week that the dress had actually been under her bed for about five days before she took it out, washed it and packed it for a six-week work trip to Perth with her former boss Linda Reynolds.

The dress and the way it was removed that night on rape charges were prominent throughout the libel trial. Higgins said she woke up to find herself clothed and “huddled together” in her waste on Friday, March 22, 2019.

However, earlier in the trial, Higgins did not dispute the security guard’s testimony that he saw her completely naked on the sofa.

On Tuesday, Stephen Whybrow, Mr Lerman’s spokesman, suggested Ms Higgins remove her dress before lying down on the sofa.

“I don’t know how or where exactly my dress ended up,” Ms. Higgins replied.

Mr. Whybrow asked if she then accepted the opportunity to take off her dress before lying down on the sofa?

Ms. Higgins: “It’s just never going to happen, so… I don’t know it’s not true, but I don’t remember.”

Mr Whybrow was sure of this, to which Ms Higgins replied: “It just seems… I don’t remember.”

However, in the following weeks, her memory of the dress would become much clearer. She wore it to Senator Reynolds’ birthday party five weeks after the alleged rape and took a bathroom selfie to send to her ex-lover Ben Dillaway.

“I’m working on my selfie game,” she wrote after sending the photos.

He replied, “Damn, you look hot.”

Ms Higgins told the court they were in an on-off relationship and sometimes sent “sex messages”.

On Friday, Higgins told the court she wore the dress again because it was her favorite and she wanted to “get” it back.

She said: “I took a photo in the bathroom because I was feeling awkward that night.

“We reconnected – I think I was trying to be flirty.”

Mr Whybrow said she sent “thousands” of messages to Mr Dillaway but never told him it was the dress she was allegedly attacked in.

Documents on the Federal Court website also show a series of text messages between Mr Lehrmann and his ex-girlfriend Greta Sinclair in the week that Ms Higgins publicly said she was first raped by a “male colleague”.

The court previously heard Mr Lehrmann realized Ms Higgins’ allegations related to him on the afternoon of February 15, 2021 – after news.com.au published a story making the same rape allegations, and before the project aired that evening.

He has consistently denied raping Ms Higgins.

Mr Lehrmann had previously been cross-examined over a number of messages he sent to Ms Sinclair because she was “distraught” when she learned the rape allegations were about him.

He tried to make her feel better by fabricating information – falsely claiming that he had “two lawyers”, that he could “make millions” by suing for libel, and that his lawyer said he was “part of a larger political work.”

He then told the court the reports were untrue: “I was putting on a brave face to Ms Sinclair in a sense,” he told the court.

Fresh reports on Tuesday show the couple often said “I love you” and called each other “peas.”

But about two days after Ms Higgins’ allegations were made public, Ms Sinclair, although supportive of them, began to fight.

By this stage he had checked into the Royal North Shore psychiatric unit and was then transferred to another mental health facility.

On February 17, the couple exchanged messages about his mental state.

They were saying goodbye when Lehrmann suddenly said: “You don’t love me anymore.” It’s OK.’

Ms Sinclair replied: “It’s just a lot to deal with… so it’s not easy for me and today was scary.”

Mr. Lehrmann replied: “I know and have said all along that you are my main concern, so I understand that. I have made sure your safety is my top priority. I never want to lose you. I meant (everything) I ever said or did for you in terms of my feelings.”

She replied, “I know… We don’t need to talk about it now. Let’s just take you to the hospital.

The next day she said: “I will tell my friends that you are in clinic due to work stress and we are taking time apart for the sake of my mental health as I cannot support you and what you need.”

On February 21, she said: “I don’t know if I can continue our relationship.”

Mr. Lehrmann replied: “Correct. So are you leaving me?

She said, “I won’t leave you.”

Ms Sinclair then told him that another woman had accused Mr Lerman of rape, but he told her the allegation had been made two weeks earlier and had been “debunked”.

She said she didn’t know how to process the information because she didn’t read the news, but learned about it when her mother told her.

He said, “I’m telling the truth. I immediately came home and told you the truth… Because you are important to me. I can’t tell you how much.

She replied, “I know… And I know you didn’t do it, but I don’t know if I can forget about it.”

Mr Lehrmann said: “I haven’t changed. The media has changed the perception of me. Even the media, the disgusting and disgusting trolls on social media. I didn’t do anything wrong.

“I lost absolutely everything and everyone over nothing. In my entire life, I have never felt more comfortable and confident about the future than I did with you, and it is a testament to you, your strength and what you have overcome.”

Ms Sinclair said: “Thank you. I’m sorry. I’ll call you tomorrow.’ She added: “I’m always here for you.”

Three days after that, she wrote to him again: “I’m having a really hard time dealing with this and a journalist tried to add me on Instagram.” I will be available to talk from time to time, but I have no intention of continuing our relationship.

“I’m really sorry and I hope you understand.”

At the time, Lerman’s mother was visiting him in Sydney, friends sent him articles with new rape allegations, and he lost his job.

Mr Lehrmann is suing Wilkinson and Tan over Ms Higgins’ interview on The Project on February 15, 2021, during which she first made her rape allegations against him.

He was not named in the broadcast, but he claims friends, colleagues and family members identified him as the man who allegedly raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House on March 23, 2019.

Mr. Lehrmann has consistently denied any sexual contact with Ms. Higgins, consensual or otherwise.

Ms Higgins’ cross-examination concluded on Tuesday.

The hearing will resume Wednesday morning.