Bruce Lehrmann shares cheeky screenshots of Facebook group chat after Brittany Higgins’ interview with Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson: Follow the defamation trial LIVE

Mr. Lehrmann took to the witness stand Wednesday afternoon.

He told the court that former Defense Secretary Linda Reynolds’ team was relatively small in 2019 when she took over from Steven Ciobo and that there were no senior advisers at the time.

His lawyer, Steven Whybrow, then took him through a number of tweets and articles naming him as Ms Higgins’ alleged rapist.

Mr Lehrmann also spoke about a Facebook group from which he was ‘booted’ during the week of February 15, 2021 – when The Project interview aired. “I remember logging into my social media accounts to close them because of the media furor,” he says. said.

Referring to Facebook, he told the court: ‘I was removed from group chats and blocked in groups, my friend count was reduced which meant people had unfriended me.’

‘When I was removed from these groups, [the administrators] would indicate in the messenger app that I had been deleted.’

In another group chat with National Party supporters, Mr Lehrmann said a group member posted an “ejected” photo.

All members left the group chat and Mr. Lehrmann was the only member left.

Mr Lehrmann said his life changed dramatically after the episode of The Project aired.

He told the court that people “unfriended” him, “cut me off, removed me from group chats, blocked me, the list goes on.”

“While working at Ramsay Northside, I decided to shut down my social media because of the impact that came from The Project.

“Then the media frenzy, then the naming on social media and people looking me up and posting things on Twitter, it got pretty disgusting.”

Mr. Lehrmann said he has closed all his social media accounts and only recently reactivated Instagram and Facebook.

He also claims Ms Higgins invited him for drinks on the night he allegedly raped her.

Mr Lehrmann said his interactions with Ms Higgins that evening were “professional and cordial”.

Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied the rape allegations and insists he has not had any sexual interaction with her.