One of the Seven Network’s most senior executives has explained why he sent a reporter from a rival media organization a photo of the former Sunrise executive producer, bloodied and covered in bandages.
Seven’s commercial director Bruce McWilliam reportedly told the journalist that Michael Pell had been driven to self-harm by her questions about a secret fraud investigation at the network.
“This is what your unsubstantiated reports caused Michael to do,” Mr McWilliam wrote in an email to Sydney Morning Herald journalist Zoe Samios in October 2022.
“Why don’t you go through with it so he kills himself,” Mr McWilliam continued, according to a report in Nine Newspapers.
An accompanying photo showed Pell in a hospital gown with a cut on his forehead.
One of the Seven Network’s most senior executives sent an email with a photo of Sunrise’s former executive producer Michael Pell, bloodied and covered in bandages. Pell is pictured center stage with former Sunrise hosts Sam Armytage and David Koch
Mr McWilliam told Samios that the fraud investigation she said was carried out by law firm Seyfarth Shaw was never carried out.
“That law firm you mention has not conducted any investigation,” Mr. McWilliam wrote.
‘If you publish untrue accusations. And he surpasses himself. It’s up to you… And we’re determined to protect him.”
According to Nine, the Herald dropped the story about the fraud investigation due to concerns about Pell’s welfare.
The newspaper later learned the photo Pell allegedly showed after an episode of self-harm was actually taken when he was injured after blacking out on a Los Angeles street several weeks earlier.
Mr McWilliam told news.com.au he sent the email to Samios because he felt he had a duty to defend Pell.
“I make no excuses for having acted to protect a colleague against whom false allegations were made,” Mr McWilliam said.
“Michael Pell has been a friend of mine for years, and so the accusation comes forward [Nine Newspapers] that the image was used without his permission is ridiculous.”
Seven’s commercial director Bruce McWilliam reportedly told reporter Zoe Samios that Michael Pell had been driven to self-harm by the journalist’s questions about a secret fraud investigation at the network. Pell is pictured with Married at First Sight bride Ella Ding
Mr McWilliam said the photo was supplied to him by Pell’s husband Daniel Burgess-Wise.
‘[Nine] claimed it was… old, but that wasn’t made clear to me and I don’t even know if what they’re saying is true,” he said.
‘[Mr Burgess-Wise] asked me if I could help Michael and if I could do anything to stop the attacks on him that arose from the questions [sent by Samios]which became increasingly violent and misleading.’
A spokesperson for Seven confirmed on Monday that Pell, who drove Sunrise’s ratings success and dominance over Nine’s Today, was no longer working for the network.
Nine reported that Seyfarth Shaw had in fact been instructed to investigate travel benefits provided to Sunrise employees by Qantas and Accor Hotels.
It was alleged that three employees and some of their family or friends had abused these benefits.
Seyfarth Shaw in turn hired forensic accountants to conduct an investigation called Project Rally.
Bruce McWilliam (above) told journalist Zoe Samios that a fraud investigation she said was conducted by law firm Seyfarth Shaw was never carried out
Seven instructed the law firm not to interview Sunrise staff and Project Rally made no findings against anyone, according to Nine.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that Pell or anyone else working at Sunrise or their employees misused travel benefits or otherwise acted fraudulently.
Seven has been contacted for comment.
Pell became executive producer of Sunrise in 2010 at the age of 28 and under his leadership the program dominated the breakfast television market.
He left Sunrise in March 2022 when Seven appointed him senior vice president, entertainment content, North America, a role based in Los Angeles.
Seven has been criticized in the past week following allegations that the Spotlight program funded prostitutes and drugs for Bruce Lehrmann as they tried to interview the alleged rapist.
Mr Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview on The Project in which Brittany Higgins alleged she was raped in Parliament House.
Ms. Higgins did not name Mr. Lehrmann as her alleged rapist during that interview, but he claims he could be identified.
Mr. Lehrmann has always denied raping Ms. Higgins.
Judge Michael Lee will announce his findings in the Federal Court defamation case on Monday.
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