Gina Rinehart attends the Emirates Marquee on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington Racecourse on November 1, 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo : Getty Images/Scott Barbour)
The boss of Channel 9 Australia apologized on Feb. 24, Friday, to the country's most affluent woman Gina Rinehart for a fictionalized drama that misrepresented her family. Rinehart sued the network for an "inaccurate" portrayal of her family in "House of Hancock" mini series.
The network's drama was criticized as disgraceful with its false depiction of the Rinehart family, including Mrs. Rinehart's husband Frank Rinehart and her parents Lang Hancock and Hope Margaret Nicholas. Mandy McElhinney and Sam Neill played Mrs. Rinehart and her father, respectively. The two-part series aired in February 2015.
The apology was written earlier this month but Rinehart only received it a week after on Feb 24, Thursday. Nine CEO Hugh Marks explained the nature of the Cordell Jigsaw co-produced mini series.
"That mini-series was a drama, not a documentary," according to Marks' letter published on the Hancock-owned firm, Hancock Prospecting PTY LTD's official website. "And certain matters were fictionalised for dramatic purposes."
The apology added that Channel 9 and Cordell Jigsaw acknowledged the close relationship of Mrs. Rinehart with her husband, parents and daughters Hope Rinehart Welker and Ginia Rinehart. It recognized her family's huge contribution to the country's economy, employment opportunities and several charity works with their dedication and hard work. It expressed their acceptance of Mrs. Rinehart's claim that the broadcast is inaccurate and apologized for the offense or any hurt it caused her family.
Mrs. Rinehart's camp accepted the apology via a statement. The mining magnate's suit was not about money but to correct the record and stop misrepresenting her family, especially those who already passed away and cannot defend themselves.
"Mrs. Rinehart hopes that this matter will lead to the greater protection of others from such unfair conduct by the media," according to the statement from the Rinehart camp published in Hancock Prospecting PTY LTD website. "And lead our politicians to activate long overdue reform in this area."
The "House of Hancock," which focused on the feud between the late Hancock and and Mrs. Rinehart from 1980 to 2002, drew about two million viewers for each installment. Channel 9 no longer plan to stream or broadcast the miniseries again, The Guardian reported.
Take a peek of Channel 9's "House of Hancock" below:
