Rebel’s pitch for publisher to pay $1.4m legal bill
FILM star Rebel Wilson spent more than $1.4 million fighting her defamation case, her lawyer has told a Melbourne court.
The Pitch Perfect star is fighting to have most of those costs repaid by Bauer Media, which was found to have defamed her in a series of articles published in 2015.
It was revealed in the Supreme Court of Victoria yesterday Wilson spent more than $1 million over the 22-day trial last June. The court was also told her barrister Matthew Collins cost $9900 a day. It is expected she will have at least 80 per cent of those costs paid by Bauer, but she is seeking more.
Her barrister, Renee Enbom, argued Justice John Dixon made an order on costs. Ms Enbom said Wilson and Bauer Media were arguing over a difference of between $100,000 and $200,000.
Justice Dixon had found Bauer had relied on “hopeless” or unwinnable defences during the trial purely to keep Wilson “worried all the way to verdict”.
In September, Wilson was awarded $4.5 million, which included $650,000 in general and aggravated damages.
It followed a four-week trial that found Bauer had branded the screen star a “serial liar” who fabricated untruths about her age, real name and childhood in order to make it in Hollywood.
Bauer Media plans to appeal against the ruling.
Justice Dixon adjourned the costs matter to a later date.