Super Retail Group has filed a detailed defence in the Federal Court, denying allegations made by two former senior executives who claim a toxic culture within the company was fuelled by an undisclosed relationship between CEO Anthony Heraghty (pictured) and former HR chief Jane Kelly.

Whistleblowers Rebecca Farrell and Amelia Berczelly are suing the $3.2 billion retailer behind brands like Rebel, BCF and Supercheap Auto, alleging bullying, misuse of company funds, and a workplace culture marred by secrecy and intimidation. The pair is seeking up to $30 million in damages.

Court documents reveal Super Retail is firmly rejecting claims of an affair during Kelly’s tenure, saying an internal investigation found no evidence of misconduct or a toxic workplace. The company also alleges Farrell once told Kelly she did not believe the affair rumours and didn’t think they were widespread.

Farrell’s legal team, Harmers Workplace Lawyers, counters that she lacked hard evidence at the time of that conversation, and only confirmed the affair later via a whistleblower.

In a dramatic twist, Super Retail alleges Harmers used a PowerPoint presentation at mediation in 2024 to warn of severe media and market fallout if the case became public, pointing to a similar case that harmed another ASX-listed company’s share price.

The defence also accuses Farrell of bullying a colleague, which reportedly led to a workers’ compensation claim, and claims she took nine weeks of leave to deal with personal issues.

The whistleblowers insist the affair and its cover-up were an “open secret” among top executives, with multiple leaders allegedly raising concerns, only to be ignored.

Super Retail maintains that Heraghty and Kelly’s relationship began after her departure and denies claims that Heraghty influenced her redundancy package.