Brittany Higgins is rushed to hospital in Perth, hours after mediation talks with Linda Reynolds over defamation case fail dramatically

Brittany Higgins was rushed to hospital in Perth on Tuesday evening.

The former Liberal staffer was treated at Royal Perth Hospital at 11pm on Tuesday evening, The West Australian reported.

Ms Higgins’ hospital visit came just hours after a nine-hour mediation session at the WA Supreme Court with her former boss, Senator Linda Reynolds, collapsed.

She reportedly spent several hours in the emergency department but was not admitted to a hospital ward.

On Wednesday evening, Senator Reynolds called the negotiations “difficult and testing” and wished Ms. Higgins “a speedy recovery.”

‘Legal negotiations are unfortunately sometimes difficult and testing for all participants and yesterday was an exhausting and difficult day for all of us,” Senator Reynolds told The Australian.

‘I have tried to keep stress to a minimum by avoiding any direct contact that might have been confrontational and relying on a very experienced judge to interact with Ms Higgins.’

Higgins revealed that she had proposed a two-week break in the case ‘to allow Ms Higgins and all parties to recover and get past the stress of court attendance and significant media attention’.

Although it is unclear why she went to hospital on this occasion, Ms Higgins previously spent five days in a mental health clinic during the first trial of her accused rapist.

She was admitted to a clinic after being found walking alone in the rain on the streets of Canberra in October 2022.

She then returned to the courtroom to complete her cross-examination.

The details could only be revealed after the lifting of a High Court ban order, following the decision to halt a second trial of her alleged rapist.

On Wednesday morning, Daily Mail Australia revealed that a planned conference between Ms Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz and Senator Reynolds, due to take place later that day, had been sensationally scrapped.

It is unclear whether Ms Higgins’ hospital visit played a role in that decision.

Senator Reynolds is individually suing both Ms Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz over a series of social media posts that she claims have damaged her reputation.

Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz moved permanently to France at the end of last year after buying a house near Bordeaux.

They had no plans to return to Australia but were forced to attend a court-ordered mediation session in Perth on Tuesday and Wednesday.

It was intended to avoid a costly lawsuit.

The group entered the courtroom at 10 a.m. Tuesday and left just before 7 p.m., without resolution. Wednesday’s session was subsequently suspended.

A trial is now expected to take place, likely to begin in May and last six weeks.

The two sides did not even face each other on Tuesday because Senator Reynolds wanted her own chamber on the court.

Daily Mail Australia understands Ms Reynolds opted for a private room away from the couple on Tuesday, meaning a mediator had to spend the day traveling between the parties.

It is also understood that Mrs Higgins was not allowed to bring a chaperone with her, which is why her best friend Emma Webster was absent.

Ms Webster stood by Ms Higgins during both Bruce Lehrmann’s criminal trial and when Ms Higgins appeared in court for his defamation action against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, a spokesperson for Ms Reynolds said: “Discussions between the parties are ongoing today.”

“There will be no further comment.”

As she went to court on Tuesday morning, Hs Higgins told reporters she believes everyone went to the hearing “in good faith.”

Neither she nor Mr Sharaz answered any questions as they left court with their lawyers later that evening.

Ms Reynolds left with her lawyer Martin Bennett and her partner Robert Reid.

“Long day,” she said, grinning widely to the waiting media.

“It’s still ongoing, so it’s not appropriate for me to comment on it yet.”

Monday’s hearing was held as Judge Marcus Solomon urged the parties to resolve the issue before going to trial, citing the enormous costs often associated with defamation proceedings.

Ms Reynolds’ defamation case centers on social media posts fired by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz.

She claims the messages implied she pressured Ms Higgins not to proceed with a complaint to police about her alleged rape, and interfered with Mr Lehrmann’s criminal trial.

Ms Higgins is also accused of breaching a non-disparagement clause in a settlement contract she entered into in 2021, which prevents her from speaking negatively about Ms Reynolds.

The senator is seeking higher damages, an injunction to restrain Ms. Higgins from publishing allegedly defamatory material, and another injunction to restrain her from breaching the settlement agreement.

Ms Reynolds is simultaneously suing Mr Sharaz separately alleging he defamed her in five social media posts, which were allegedly ‘falsely defamatory’ and caused her ‘loss and damage’.

It comes just months after Ms Reynolds attempted to freeze Ms Higgins’ assets.

Ms Higgins received around $2.4 million from taxpayers in 2022 on claims her political career was in ruins after she alleged she was raped by former colleague Bruce Lehrmann at Parliament House in 2019.

Mr Lehrmann has consistently denied the allegations and is currently suing Channel 10 and Lisa Wilkinson – who broke the story about The Project in 2021 – for defamation.