Sam Groth, the Deputy Liberal leader, and his wife, Brittany Groth, have successfully settled their legal dispute with the Herald Sun. The resolution includes a public apology from the publication, averting a potentially expensive court battle. Sources familiar with the matter confirmed that the agreement was reached within the past week, allowing both parties to move forward without further legal entanglements.
The legal action stemmed from a series of articles published in July 2023, which alleged that the Groths may have begun a sexual relationship when Brittany was aged 16 or 17, during her time under Sam’s care as a tennis coach. Brittany Groth filed a lawsuit against the parent company, The Herald and Weekly Times, along with reporter Stephen Drill and Herald Sun editor Sam Weir, citing a serious breach of privacy. Sam Groth pursued a defamation claim against the publication.
Had the case proceeded to court, it would have marked a significant test of Australia’s new privacy laws, which allow for claims of damages up to $478,000 AUD. Sources indicated that the settlement did not disclose a specific figure, though one source suggested it was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
As part of the settlement agreement, an apology is expected to be published in the Herald Sun in the coming days. Additionally, links to the original articles and related content appear to have been removed from the publication’s website, indicating compliance with the terms of the settlement.
Both the Groths and News Corp Australia have been approached for further comments regarding the agreement. The resolution of this case highlights the ongoing complexities surrounding media reporting and privacy rights in Australia, especially with the introduction of new legal frameworks aimed at protecting individuals’ privacy.
