Seven West Media has obtained an interim injunction in the supreme court of New South Wales in an attempt to stop the chief executive’s former lover releasing documents damaging to the company.
The injunction comes before Wednesday’s release of the media company’s half-year results at which Seven CEO Tim Worner was to make his first highly-anticipated public appearance.
Worner, a married man with four children, had an affair with executive assistant Amber Harrison between 2012 and 2014, when she was a key staff member in the magazines division.
Harrison went public with the affair in December after she failed to get a satisfactory financial settlement with Seven after three attempts over two years.
The dispute heated up again this month after the Seven board cleared Worner of allegations of misconduct, including allegations of illicit drug use and credit card misuse.
The independent review said it had identified “significant credit card misuse by Ms Harrison” and a subsequent investigation wasn’t instigated by Worner.
Worner, who has received unwavering support from SWM’s chairman, Kerry Stokes, was cleared after the board received an an independent review by Richard Harris, a litigation and investigations partner at Allens Linklaters. However, one of only two female board members, Sheila McGregor, has subsequently resigned.
But instead of the embarrassing public feud going away after Worner was cleared, the messy details have been dribbling out daily. Calling the independent review a “whitewash”, Harrison began releasing documents on Twitter and sparring with former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, who is on the Seven board.
On Monday Seven accused Harrison of releasing documents that are property of the company, “in breach of her employment obligations”.
“It became clear late last week that Ms Harrison is now releasing or divulging commercial in confidence emails and other documents that she has no right to hold, access or release,” the company said in a statement. “These documents extend beyond the scope of the other dispute Ms Harrison has with SWM.
“The relief sought is based not only on breaches of the settlement deeds but also and importantly on violations of obligations of confidentiality arising under the general law, the Corporations Act and her former contract of employment.”
- This story was amended on 15 February to clarify the number of children Tim Worner has.
