Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann and Lisa Wilkinson: What happened when Australia’s most talked-about trio were forced into the same room together for the first time EVER, writes CHARLOTTE KARP

Brittany Higgins, Bruce Lehrmann and Lisa Wilkinson – the three leads in one of the messiest legal sagas in recent memory – sat a few seats apart on Tuesday afternoon.

It was the first time the trio had ever been in the same room together.

The tension was palpable.

Had Ms Higgins not been called to the witness stand to testify in the final moments of Tuesday’s hearing, they might have awkwardly bumped into each other as they left the courtroom door in Sydney.

Ms. Higgins burst into the small and crowded federal courtroom just after 2:30 p.m. alongside her usual entourage — attorney Leon Zwier and best friend Emma Webster — while her fiancé David Sharaz chose to remain outside.

She chose a spot at the front of the room, about four seats away from Wilkinson in the front row.

Mr Lehrmann, who had completed his testimony earlier in the day, also sat in the front row – about nine seats away from Ms Higgins – across the room from former Project presenter Wilkinson, whom he is suing for defamation, together with Network Ten.

Ms Higgins did not appear to acknowledge or look at Mr Lehrmann on Tuesday, but did greet Ms Wilkinson with a long hug after the day’s work ended.

Brittany Higgins testified for about five minutes Tuesday before court adjourned

The former Liberal staffer was called to the witness box on Tuesday afternoon after a full day of testimony by Mr Lehrmann, who was questioned first by Network Ten’s barrister, Matthew Collins KC, and then by Wilkinson’s barrister, Sue Chrysanthou SC.

Mr. Zwier appeared to whisper in Ms. Higgins’ ear and ask if she would mind taking the witness stand for the final minutes of the hearing, and she agreed.

Ms Higgins was not present in court when Mr Lehrmann admitted that Network Seven had agreed to pay his rent for a year in return for interviews on Spotlight, and when he accused her fiancé of sending him a threatening email sent with the title ‘I’m coming for you’.

She was visibly nervous during her brief appearance on the witness stand, where she navigated questions about her height and weight — as a way to gauge her inebriation — along with details about her political career through 2021.

Her voice wavered as she explained that she was about 6ft tall and weighed about 60kg in March 2019, when she claimed Bruce Lehrmann raped her in Parliament House. He strongly denies this claim.

She was then asked about her career and told the court that she studied a double degree at university and started working in politics because she really enjoyed it.

Bruce Lehrmann completed his cross-examination on Tuesday. He is pictured leaving the court

Bruce Lehrmann walks into the Federal Court in Sydney on Tuesday morning

“I campaigned on my university campus for freedom of expression on campus in relation to political and religious clubs,” Ms Higgins told the court.

“They didn’t want to join them, so I started bugging all my local MPs about it, and that’s how I first came into contact with some people from the Liberal Party.”

Ms Higgins gave just over five minutes of evidence before court adjourned until 9.30am on Wednesday, with the court standing as Judge Michael Lee left.

It was almost certainly the first time the three of them were in a room together, but it certainly won’t be the last.

Mrs Higgins smiled, left the witness box and hugged Wilkinson. She then high-tailed him out of the building.

Mr. Lehrmann had barely moved from his position on the other side of the room and was clearly more relaxed now that the spotlight was turned away from him and his cross-examination was over.

Ms Higgins will have to complete the examination by Dr Collins and Ms Chrysanthou before being questioned by Mr Lehrmann’s lawyer, Steven Whybrow.

Wilkinson will then be called to the stand. She is expected to testify for three days or more.

Lisa Wilkinson is pictured smiling as she left court on Thursday

Lisa Wilkinson is represented by Sue Chrysanthou. They are pictured together outside the Federal Court

Mr Lehrmann is suing Wilkinson and Ten over an interview with Ms Higgins on The Project on February 15, 2021, in which she first made her rape allegations against him.

He was not named in that broadcast, but he claims he was identified by friends, colleagues and relatives as the man who allegedly raped Ms Higgins at Parliament House on March 23, 2019. He denies these accusations.

Ten and Wilkinson have filed a truth defense, which means they must prove that it is more likely than not that Mr. Lehrmann raped Ms. Higgins.

This differs from a criminal trial, where the Crown must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Mr Lehrmann’s version of events has been picked up by lawyers with a fine-tooth comb, with Ten’s barrister Matthew Collins KC firing questions at him for more than four days.

The defamation hearing will resume on Wednesday.