Lehrmann,who was accused of raping fellow staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019,is shown on the Instagram video sitting at a table with four others,one of whom appears to be chopping up white powder using two credit cards.
The short video clip,captioned “Bruce’s famous speech”,was posted on Instagram late on Sunday by a friend of Lehrmann.
Lehrmann is heard saying:“And Nadja. I love Nadja. I’m always constantly concerned for Nadja’s welfare.”
Lehrmann was contacted for comment via his lawyer but is yet to respond.
The friend who posted the clip to Instagram also posted other clips on the social media platform featuring sweeping water views from the balcony of Lehrmann’s rented home in northern Sydney,and Lehrmann’s golden retriever,Sunny.
Lehrmann lives in the three-bedroom home rent-free because the Seven Network pays the bill.
The contentious 12-month deal for rent between Lehrmann and Seven is due to expire shortly.
Seven’sSpotlight program initially said it had made no payment to Lehrmann for an exclusive interview,only assisting with “accommodation as part of the filming of the story”.
But court documents released last year revealed Seven agreed to pay $4000 per fortnight to cover the costs of Lehrmann’s accommodation for a period of 12 months in return for an exclusive interview deal.
The interview had been nominated as a finalist for the Walkley Awards,but it was removed from the list of finalists after the revelation about the network paying Lehrmann’s rent.
Seven was contacted for comment about the “white powder” video shot in Lehrmann’s home.
Lehrmann,who is studying law,has not worked full-time since 2021.
He has strenuously denied the rape claim made against him by Higgins.
In November,Lehrmann told a court he was “spiralling” when he texted friends he needed cocaine after Higgins accused a then-unnamed man of raping her in Parliament House.
Text messages in evidence in Lehrmann’s Federal Court defamation case against Network Ten and Lisa Wilkinson to friends after Ten aired Wilkinson’s interview with Higgins onThe Projecton February 15,2021.
“Was that because you’d decided to spend some time that night with some friends and that substance?” Ten’s barrister,Dr Matt Collins,KC,asked in the Federal Court in Sydney.
“Yes,Dr Collins,I spiralled pretty quickly,” Lehrmann said.
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