Nine apologises to Gina Rinehart for House of Hancock, pulls series

Gina Rinehart. Photo / Getty Images

Billionaire Gina Rinehart slammed the miniseries about the life of Lang Hancock and his family - including her - as 'disgraceful" and "false" and sued Channel Nine for it.

Today, she received a grovelling apology from the network, and, sources say, and agreement House of Hancock will never be shown again.

Nine and the makers of the show, Cordell Jigsaw apologised to Rinehart in a statement which clarified the program "was a drama, not a documentary, and certain matters were fictionalised for dramatic purposes".

"In February 2015, Nine broadcast a two part miniseries, produced by Cordell Jigsaw, about in particular, Mrs Gina Rinehart and her parents, Hope and Lang Hancock, and her husband, Frank Rinehart," the statement says.

"Nine and Cordell Jigsaw accept that Mrs Rinehart had a very loving and close relationship with her mother, father and husband, and has with Hope and Ginia. They also acknowledge the significant contribution that Mrs Rinehart has made to Australia through her years of hard work and dedication and by her investment in this country, to its industry, economy and to the employment of Australians and by her longstanding support of elite sport and numerous worthwhile charities.

"Nine and Cordell Jigsaw accept that Mrs Rinehart found the broadcast to be inaccurate.

That was certainly not the intention of Nine or Cordell Jigsaw, and each unreservedly apologises to Mrs Rinehart and her family for any hurt or offence caused by the broadcast and its promotion."

Its understood the program won't be released again on DVD, streamed, or sold overseas.

Mrs Rinehart took legal action for defamation against Nine and Cordell Jigsaw when the series, starring Mandy McElhinney screened in February 2015.

It attracted about 1.3 million viewers, and the second instalment was swiftly edited when Mrs Rinehart won the right to see it the second instalment before it aired.

A statement from Hancock Prospecting - which Mrs Rinehart heads - said the case was "not about money" an Mrs Rinehart was pleased to receive a public apology for "such an inaccurate and distorted mini series".

"Mrs Rinehart and others who truly knew the Hancock family and Mrs Rinehart, were disappointed such an inaccurate and distorted miniseries against their family, family
members who greatly contributed to our country, was aired by Channel Nine, which did not depict the actual people, and is pleased that she has received a public apology," it said.

"This case was not about money. It was about Mrs Rinehart standing up for her deeply loved family members to try to stop the further spreading of unfair and grossly disgraceful falsehoods about her family, especially when certain of her family members are no longer here able to defend themselves.

"This matter was not just about the fundamental right of Mrs Rinehart and her family not to have lies and misrepresentations spread publicly about them, but Mrs Rinehart hopes that this matter will lead to the greater protection of others from such unfair conduct by the media and lead our politicians to activate long overdue reform in this area."