Gina Rinehart Suing Channel Nine Over ‘Defamatory’ ‘House Of Hancock’ Series

Gina Rinehart is suing Channel Nine for defamation and malicious falsehood over the airing of the TV film “House of Hancock.” The iron ore magnate has filed papers in the NSW Supreme Court, saying both episodes of the miniseries were acts of defamation of her character.

After the first episode aired on Feb. 7, Rinehart’s legal team moved to stop the airing of the concluding episode. They asked the court to allow them to see the program in advance in an attempt to stop it from airing on the network. The parties came to a compromise, however, with Rinehart’s team allowing the show to air but with some scenes cut out and a disclaimer saying it was fiction added.

Despite their compromise, Rinehart has still filed suit against the network, claiming that the miniseries defamed her and “committed the tort of injurious or malicious falsehood.” As The WA Today notes, the country’s richest woman has to prove the alleged false statements were made with malice and intent to cause harm to her business. She also needs to prove the actual damage brought by such false statement to win the case.

Sources also told The Guardian that Rinehart is also gunning for the advance copy of the “House of Hancock” DVD, which boasts never-before-seen scenes. Her legal camp is reportedly demanding to see a copy of the extended DVD release version before it is released on March 19.

Apparently, the extra material included in the DVD only includes the behind-the-scenes takes with the actors. “House of Hancock” starred Mandy McElhinney as Rinehart, Sam Neill as Lang Hancock and Peta Sergeant as Rose Lacson (now Porteous).

Before the TV film aired, Rinehart’s camp had allegedly informed Nine boss David Gyngell that the show had errors but the network still decided to air it. Her spokesperson released a list of “glaring errors” that were portrayed in the show, including the alleged false contentious relationship between Rinehart and her father. Hancock never called his daughter hurtful names, least of all “devious baby elephant” as was portrayed in the show.

Rinehart also wasn’t at her honeymoon when her mother Hope Hancock died. There was no phone call begging her to come home during her honeymoon as well.

Porteous released a separate statement about the miniseries, calling it “another tangled web of fiction based on sensationalising the truth.” John Hancock, Rinehart’s son who is involved in an unconnected legal case against her, also has a list of “false scenes” he found in the miniseries. He is not a party to Rinehart’s suit against Channel Nine.