Seven network bosses have demanded a total media blackout to protect their biggest stars in the latest legal scandal to hit the beleaguered channel.
Former Spotlight reporter Amelia Saw is taking the TV station to court over damning allegations believed to relate to the conduct of staff on the flagship series.
But Seven has applied for an order preventing full details of the case from being made public and its evidence will be heard at a further hearing at the Federal Court this week.
Access to court documents related to the case, including Saw’s statement of claim against the station, has been blocked ahead of the first hearing.
Network bosses are understood to be concerned that top names in primetime current affairs – including Liam Bartlett, Micheal Usher, Ross Coulthart and Denham Hitchcock – will be dragged into the legal dispute.
However, it is understood that none of the allegations relate to the big stars and focus on a former staff member and general working conditions on the show.
Former Spotlight reporter Amelia Saw is taking the TV station to court over damning allegations believed to relate to the conduct of staff on the flagship series.
Network bosses are understood to be concerned that big names such as Liam Bartlett, Micheal Usher, Ross Coulthart and Denham Hitchcock (pictured) will be dragged into the legal dispute.
Seven has been reeling from repeated media blows since it was caught up in Bruce Lehrmann’s failed defamation action against Ten and Lisa Wilkinson.
Former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbrach alleged in court that he had wooed Lehrmann with sex workers, drugs, fine dining and Thai masseuses to get him to sign with the network.
Lehrmann later signed an exclusive deal to tell his side of the story on Spotlight in 2023 in exchange for TV bosses paying rent on a luxury unit for a year.
In the wake of that scandal, executive producer Mark Llewellyn left the network in mid-April, followed by Seven’s head of news and current affairs Craig McPherson.
Star Seven reporter Robert Ovadia was later sacked after allegations were made against him over his behavior towards female staff.
He also took legal action against Seven alleging unfair dismissal, but dropped the legal action after Seven alleged they had received multiple new complaints against him from 13 other employees.
Michael Usher (pictured with Nat Barr) is one of Seven’s biggest stars.
Ovadia strongly denied the allegations but said he was withdrawing due to the financial and emotional toll of the court battle against the media giant.
Judge Nye Perram will hear the merits of the network’s latest attempt to prevent publication of details of the latest allegations against the network on Friday.
A Seven spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: “Seven Network strongly and categorically rejects Amelia Saw’s allegations as reported by the media.”
Saw declined to comment when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.
