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Report: Stokes tells Simon Reeve, “I’m so sorry.”

Court documents show Seven chairman reached out to Simon Reeve after being let go after some 4 decades of service.

Court documents in the case of former Weekend Sunrise presenter Simon Reeve vs Seven West Media have been made public in press articles.

Reeve is suing his former network and seeking 12 months’ salary in lieu of termination notice provided in June, as compensation for the failure to pay him annual leave and redundancy, interest and costs.

At the heart of the dispute is disagreement over whether he was entitled to those monies as an employee, or was a contractor as Simon Reeve Productions Pty Limited.

Reeve has worked for Seven, at various times, over the past 4 decades including on State Affair, Beyond 2000, Seven News, Sunrise, It’s Academic, Million Dollar Minute, Weekend Sunrise, and The Force.

News.com.au reports he finished on Weekend Sunrise in March, working on just two other jobs, ANZAC Day and a COVID story, before being let go in June.

A week later he reportedly received an email from chairman Kerry Stokes referring to him as having just “been made redundant”.

“I’m so sorry,” Stokes said on July 3, according to court documents.

That same day, Seven West Media commercial director Bruce McWilliam emailed to say he was “part of the DNA of this place since before I can remember”.

In another email on July 16, he wrote: “You’ll leave a big hole as you’ve been part of the weekend line up for so long. Won’t be the same without you as you’re part of our DNA.”

Seven is yet to comment on the case given the legal proceedings.

Reeve is being represented by employment and media lawyer John Laxon of Laxon Lex Lawyers.

Update: A lawyer for Seven told a court the claim was “ambitious.” It returns to court on November 11.

Reeve’s full letter to Kerry Stokes & Bruce McWilliam has now been published by Daily Mail.