One of the Seven Network’s top executives has explained why he sent a journalist from a rival media outlet a photograph of the bloodied and bandaged former Sunrise executive producer.
Seven commercial director Bruce McWilliam reportedly told the journalist that Michael Pell had been forced to self-harm over his questions about a secret fraud investigation at the network.
“This is what your unfounded reporting has caused Michael to do,” McWilliam wrote in an email to Sydney Morning Herald journalist Zoe Samios in October 2022.
“Why don’t you keep it up so he commits suicide?” McWilliam continued, according to a report by Nine Newspapers.
An attached photo showed Pell in a hospital gown with a cut on his forehead.
One of the Seven Network’s top executives emailed a photo of former Sunrise executive producer Michael Pell, bloodied and covered in bandages. Pell is pictured center with former Sunrise hosts Sam Armytage and David Koch.
McWilliam told Samios that the fraud investigation she said was being conducted by law firm Seyfarth Shaw had never been carried out.
“That law firm you name did not conduct any investigation,” Mr. McWilliam wrote.
‘If you publish false accusations. And he surpasses himself. It’s up to you… And we are determined to protect you.’
According to Nine, the Herald dropped the fraud investigation story due to concerns for Pell’s welfare.
The newspaper later learned that the photograph purporting to show Pell after an episode of self-harm was actually taken when he was injured after passing out on a Los Angeles street several weeks earlier.
McWilliam told news.com.au he sent the email to Samios because he felt he had a duty to defend Pell.
“I have no excuse for having acted to protect a colleague against whom false accusations were being made,” Mr McWilliam said.
‘Michael Pell has been a friend of mine for many years, so the accusation in [Nine Newspapers] That the image was used without his consent is ridiculous.’
Seven commercial director Bruce McWilliam reportedly told journalist Zoe Samios that Michael Pell had been forced to self-harm over the journalist’s questions about a secret fraud investigation at the network. Pell is pictured with Married at First Sight girlfriend Ella Ding
McWilliam said the photograph was provided to him by Pell’s husband, Daniel Burgess-Wise.
‘[Nine] He was supposedly… old but that was not clear to me and I don’t even know if what they say is true,’ he said.
‘[Mr Burgess-Wise] He asked me if he could help Michael and I if there was anything he could do to stop the attacks on him emanating from the questions. [sent by Samios]which became increasingly fierce and deceitful.’
A Seven spokesperson confirmed on Monday that Pell, who drove Sunrise’s ratings success and its dominance over Nine’s Today, was no longer working for the network.
Nine reported that Seyfarth Shaw had in fact been commissioned to investigate travel benefits provided to Sunrise employees by Qantas and Accor Hotels.
Three employees and several of their family members or friends were alleged to have misused those benefits.
Seyfarth Shaw, in turn, hired forensic accountants to conduct an investigation called Project Rally.
Bruce McWilliam (above) told journalist Zoe Samios that a fraud investigation she said was being carried out by law firm Seyfarth Shaw had never been carried out.
Seven ordered the law firm not to interview Sunrise staff and Project Rally did not make any findings against anyone, according to Nine.
Daily Mail Australia does not suggest that Pell or anyone else employed by Sunrise or its associates misused travel benefits or acted fraudulently.
Seven has been contacted for comment.
Pell was appointed executive producer of Sunrise in 2010, when he was 28, and under his direction the show dominated the breakfast TV market.
He left Sunrise in March 2022 when Seven appointed him senior vice president of entertainment content in North America, a role based in Los Angeles.
Seven has come under fire over the past week following allegations that its show Spotlight funded prostitutes and drugs for Bruce Lehrmann while attempting to interview the alleged rapist.
Lehrmann is suing Network Ten and journalist Lisa Wilkinson over an interview on The Project in which Brittany Higgins claimed she had been raped in Parliament.
Higgins did not name Lehrmann as her alleged rapist during that interview, but he claims he was able to be identified.
Lehrmann has always denied raping Higgins.
Judge Michael Lee will present his findings in the Federal Court defamation case on Monday.
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