EXCLUSIVE
Senator Linda Reynolds received an outpouring of support from an army of social media bots posing as feminists.
Some 37 apparently fake profiles flooded X on Friday with messages of sympathy and encouragement for the liberal politician during her libel battle against her former co-worker Brittany Higgins.
The posts all had similar wording, alleging that Ms Reynolds was unfairly attacked and bullied on Question Time in February 2021, shortly after Ms Higgins went public with her rape allegations.
All accounts were created in the past few weeks and are located in the US, France, the UK, Ghana, Bangladesh and Russia. However, there is no account in Australia. They each have fewer than four followers and the posts were uploaded within the same two-hour period.
A user named Zona, who lives in Russia, said: ‘As a woman in politics, I have seen firsthand the devastating impact of callous attacks on female leaders. Senator Linda Reynolds’ story is a stark reminder that our words have power.’
Donnette, from Ohio, said: “I remember witnessing Senator Linda Reynolds being brutally assaulted in the House. It was heartbreaking to see her subjected to such vicious attacks.”
Margareta, from Florida, said: ‘I still remember the tears I shed when I saw Senator Linda Reynolds being brutally assaulted in the House. As a woman, I know how intimidating it can be to speak out in a male-dominated space.’
While some verified Australian users suggested Ms Reynolds may have ordered the messages herself, a spokesperson for the senator told Daily Mail Australia on Monday that idea was “ridiculous”.
Linda Reynolds is pictured at Parliament House on Monday. She is in the midst of a defamation case against her former employee, Brittany Higgins
Brittany Higgins is pictured with her husband David Sharaz. They are both being sued for defamation by Linda Reynolds
“Senator Reynolds was not aware of these bots,” they said.
“The idea that Senator Reynolds would engage in something like this is ridiculous.
“She is not behind these bots and doesn’t know who is.”
The messages appeared to match evidence Ms Reynolds gave in the witness box in the Supreme Court of Western Australia during her defamation case against Ms Higgins earlier in August.
Ms Reynolds told the court she had a complete breakdown following her Question Time hearing in February 2021, after Ms Higgins appeared on Network Ten’s The Project in 2019 and alleged she had been raped in the senator’s office in Parliament House.
Ms Higgins also accused Ms Reynolds of failing to support her, forcing her to choose between pressing charges of rape and her political career, or trying to cover up the attack.
The senator strongly denies these allegations and told the court that she was in hospital with heart problems at the end of that week.
She is now suing Mrs. Higgins and her husband, David Sharaz, for spreading accusations against her on social media.
Pictured: 31 of 37 profiles who showed their support for Linda Reynolds on Friday
Pictured: Some of the tweets posted in support of Ms Reynolds on Friday
Earlier in August, the senator’s partner, Robert Reid, wept as he told the court she had nearly died in hospital.
Her parents Janice and Laith Reynolds have submitted written statements to the court stating that their daughter has gone from being a respected preacher to a pariah.
“She was accused of being some kind of monster who had abandoned ‘a poor young woman who had been raped,’” Ms Reynolds said.
“She resigned as Minister of Defense, a position you could reasonably say she was born to serve. That in itself was devastating.”
Denita Wawn, a friend of Reynolds, subsequently told the court that she had called on the senator to quit politics after Higgins’ allegations were made public.
She said it was devastating to see her friend of more than 20 years in such poor physical and mental health after her breakdown in 2021.
Linda Reynolds is pictured outside the Western Australian Supreme Court in August
“She was a wreck,” Mrs. Wawn said.
‘Physically she was shaking, she was pale, she looked weak. Mentally she was in a state of great distress.’
Mrs Wawn feared that Mrs Reynolds’ heart condition would lead to her death.
“I spent a lot of time at her house and took care of her,” she said.
‘There were a number of us who took turns being with her.’
Ms Higgins was due to give evidence next week but on Monday her lawyer Rachael Young SC said she was not medically fit.
She is pregnant and lives in France.
In April, a federal court judge ruled on civil grounds that former Liberal Party staffer Bruce Lehrmann raped Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019. He is appealing the decision.