Gayle wins Fairfax defamation case
WEST Indies cricketer Chris Gayle has won his defamation case against Fairfax Media after a jury found he didn’t expose himself to a female massage therapist in a Sydney dressing room.
“I came this far, all the way from Jamaica, to actually defend myself, my name and my character as well,” a jubilant Gayle said outside the NSW Supreme Court yesterday.
“At the end of the day, I am very, very happy.”
The 38-year-old sued Fairfax over articles alleging he intentionally exposed his genitals to Leanne Russell, in- decently exposed himself to her, and indecently propositioned her in the West Indies dressing room during a Sydney training session at the 2015 World Cup.
While he and teammate Dwayne Smith denied the exposure, Ms Russell told the jury he pulled his towel out and down saying, “Are you looking for this?” “I saw the top half of Chris’s penis, I apologise, and I thereafter shielded my view,” she said.
After a one-week hearing, the jury retired yesterday and took less than two hours to conclude that Fairfax had not established that the claims were substantially true.
They also found that Gayle had established that Fairfax was motivated by malice when it published the articles in January 2016. The publications came after Gayle was criticised for inviting reporter Mel McLaughlin to have a drink after a Big Bash game and telling her “Don’t blush, baby” during a live TV interview.
After the verdicts were delivered, Gayle told journalists the win was like a “triple century”.
Fairfax lawyer Peter Bartlett said he was shocked and disappointed by the decision and an appeal would be considered.
Justice Lucy McCallum will later decide on the amount of damages to be awarded.