Wilson says slur cost her $5.9m
REBEL Wilson wants $5.893 million in special damages following her epic defamation win against Bauer Media.
For the first time since her defamation trial started more than a month ago her lawyer yesterday put a specific figure on her claim.
Making his submission in the Supreme Court Dr Matthew Collins, QC, for Wilson, said it was a particularly conservative figure.
But the ultimate figure could be significantly higher taking in general damages.
Justice John Dixon said yesterday it would take him several weeks to assess the claim, by which time general damages would be capped at $389,500.
Dr Collins said he arrived at the $5.893 million figure by taking into account a single missed film opportunity, at which the court has heard Wilson could have earned $6 million.
He said deductions were made for some stage shows Wilson had performed in.
Dr Collins said there was a degree of guesswork in arriving at a fair figure.
But he said Wilson’s case was virtually unprecedented in the magnitude of the damage suffered by her.
“A star like Rebel Wilson ... a multi-million dollar actress ... could reasonably expect not to have had the hiatus in her career that the evidence establishes she had,” he said.
Earlier the court was told Wilson’s earning power should have been double that of comedy superstar Amy Schumer.
Hollywood agent Peter Principato told the Victorian Supreme Court yesterday Wilson was the hottest name in Hollywood at the time a series of defamatory articles about her were published.
“Rebel was one of those actresses that every studio was talking about and trying to find projects for,” he said.
Mr Principato, who has represented big name stars including Jonah Hill, said when the articles were published Wilson was at the top of her game.
She should have been landing between two and three lead roles a year at a minimum, he said.
Instead Wilson claims she was sacked from two films, Trolls and Kung Fu Panda 3, and unable to land any more work.
Mr Principato reeled off a list of films he believed Wilson would have been perfect for.
They included the all-female remake of Ghostbusters and Snatched, which starred Amy Schumer.
He said Wilson would have been perfect for the Schumer role, and had she had landed it could have commanded double the speculated $2 to $3 million Schumer earned.
Wilson is understood to have now returned to the US.
She is seeking damages over eight defamatory articles published in Woman’s Day, Australian Woman’s Weekly, New Weekly and OK! Magazine.
The jury last week found the articles unfairly painted her as a serial liar, claiming she had faked her way to a Hollywood career.
The hearing continues.