Lorna Jane reveals she considered closing down activewear empire

Lorna Jane Clarkson, the founder of activewear giant Lorna Jane, has revealed she considered closing down her business after allegations of bullying by a former employee.

Amy Robinson sought more than $570,000 in damages, claiming she had been picked on and bullied by her area manager. The case was thrown out of court.

Clarkson told 9NEWS today she never believed there was a culture of bullying within her stores but, at the time, she “didn’t have the skills” to deal with the subsequent social media frenzy and instead simply “hid from the world”.

“It affected me enough that I questioned what I was doing,” Clarkson said.

“I thought about giving it all up. It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my life.”

Clarkson admitted she regrets not speaking out sooner.

She is still hoping for an apology from Ms Robinson, who is believed to be considering appealing the judge’s decision.

Ms Robinson has denied 9NEWS’ request for interview.