Overview

• The Groths issued a formal notice under the new privacy tort and signalled defamation proceedings against the Herald Sun, demanding the stories be withdrawn and an apology issued.
• Brittany Groth publicly condemned the tabloid’s allegations as a baseless “gross witch hunt,” firmly denying any underage wrongdoing.
• Their lawyers have threatened defamation action against Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas for her public comments on the timing of their relationship.
• Herald Sun editor Sam Weir has refused to retract the articles, defending their newsworthiness as the state heads into an election.
• The unfolding dispute is poised to become a landmark court test of Victoria’s privacy protections and has intensified divisions within the Liberal Party.