Seven’s Ben Roberts-Smith takes leave of absence for defamation case

April 26, 2021 2:13

Seven West Media’s general manager, Seven Network Brisbane and Queensland, Ben Roberts-Smith, is stepping down from his duties for an indefinite amount of time to focus on an upcoming legal battle with Nine Entertainment Co.

The decorated former soldier and Victoria Cross recipient is suing The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald for defamation.

An email to staff today from Seven West Media managing director and CEO James Warburton stated that Roberts-Smith would step down immediately while he prepares for the court case, which is set to begin on 7 June.

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Olivia Kruimel

Olivia Kruimel was the managing editor at Mumbrella. She has more than 15 years of experience in journalism, communications and marketing. Her journalism career began at Fairfax Media (now part of Nine) and includes various B2B publications such as B&T, Travel Today and ALB. As a marketer Olivia has worked for Standard Chartered and various global law firms.