Brittany Higgins‘ husband David Sharaz has made a dramatic career change while living in the south of France, picking up a role in advertising – after an outspoken commentator told him to ‘get a job’.
Sky presenter Prue MacSween sparked a war of the words last week after it was revealed Mr Sharaz and Ms Higgins have to sell their $600,000 home in France to pay for their defence of Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds‘ defamation action.
The couple bought the property last year after Ms Higgins was awarded a $2.4million compensation payment from the Commonwealth based on claims her political career was in ruins following her rape in Parliament House in 2019.
Less than two years after the payout, the couple are strapped for cash, expecting their first child, and facing the prospect of having to pay about $1million in legal fees.
Ms MacSween mocked the couple on X, saying: ‘Mon Dieu Higgins has to sell her French Chateau to pay for her mounting legal bills. C’est la vie.’
Mr Sharaz slammed her as ‘vile’, but Ms MacSween fired back by encouraging him to ‘use all his efforts to find himself a job rather than trolling’.
On Sunday, Ms MacSween doubled-down on her comments during a segment on Brisbane radio station 4BC, telling the former journalist to ‘get a job, mate, and get legitimate’.
David Sharaz, pictured with Brittany Higgins, quietly freelanced for an advertising company in London
Conservative commentator Prue MacSween (pictured) lashed out at Mr Sharaz last week, and again on Sunday
However, sources close to Mr Sharaz have confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the former journalist has freelanced for an advertising company in London.
He worked on a Starbucks campaign that ran in the UK and the Middle East.
The source revealed he does plan to get a fulltime job after a two-year hiatus, but has no desire to return to journalism.
Mr Sharaz worked for Sky News in Canberra until 2020 when he took up a brief role as senior media advisor for the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in Parliament House – where he met Ms Higgins.
He moved to Southern Cross Austereo in Brisbane in March 2021, but quit in February 2023 – shortly after Ms Reynolds launched legal action against him – and has not had regular employment since.
Speaking on Brisbane radio on Sunday, Ms MacSween said Australians were ‘fed up’ with the situation.
She then accused Mr Sharaz and Ms Higgins of ‘orchestrating’ the rape claims to damage the Liberal Party, and questioned the legitimacy of Ms Higgins’ allegations.
Ms MacSween said: ‘Just talking generally, if a person was raped or felt that had alleged rape, you’d go to a hospital, you’d go to the police.’
Brittany Higgins (right) and David Sharaz (left) were pictured leaving WA Supreme Court in March following mediation with Linda Reynolds
Pictured: Brittany Higgins and David Sharaz’s French home, which they now have to sell
‘I don’t think many of us would think, “Oh, I’m going to go to the media first before I go to the police”.
‘I mean, why would you do that, unless you had some sort of other reasons, so it’s just very curious.’
In April, Federal Court Justice Michael Lee found on a balance of probability that Ms Higgins was raped by her former colleague Bruce Lehrmann after a night out in March 2019.
The court heard Ms Higgins did go to the police following her rape. She decided not to pursue the complaint because she felt it would mean giving up her dream job as a Liberal staffer.
She went to the media two years later because she wanted to speak out against the treatment of women in Parliament House.
Ms MacSween was then asked to respond to Mr Sharaz calling her ‘vile’.
‘Well, mate, I mean he would know what vile was, because the poor bloke lives it every day, doesn’t he?’ she said.
‘I think the man should get a job and focus on that rather than worrying about what people are saying him on Twitter.
Linda Reynolds is pictured with Brittany Higgins in Perth in 2019, when she was a Liberal staffer
‘If he’s got a kid coming along, he’s got this wife, he may be facing losing his home, get a job mate and get legitimate.’
Mr Sharaz is expected to return to Australia with Ms Higgins ahead of the defamation case, which will begin in the WA Supreme Court in Perth on Friday.
Ms Reynolds is suing the couple in separate cases over a series of social media posts in 2022 and 2023 that she claims damaged her reputation.
The posts revolve around allegations by the couple that the senator did not support Ms Higgins after she disclosed that she was raped by Lehrmann in Ms Reynolds’ office in March 2019.
Ms Higgins has repeatedly claimed she was ostracised by Ms Reynolds and her staff in the wake of her assault, and that she was ultimately forced to choose between her career and pursuing her rape allegations with police.
Ms Reynolds has consistently denied that she failed to support Ms Higgins.
Earlier this year, Mr Sharaz conceded defeat due to financial difficulties. His matter will likely settle in August.
