Rush in $850K court victory
ACTOR Geoffrey Rush has been awarded $850,000 in damages for defamation against The Daily Telegraph over the publication of allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the theatre.
Justice Michael Wigney delivered his long-awaited verdict in the Federal Court yesterday and said he “had concerns” about “credibility and reliability” of the main witness in the trial, actress Eryn Jean Norvill.
During the three-week trial Ms Norvill had told the court she had felt “trapped” as Mr Rush “slowly” and “deliberately” ran his fingers over her right breast as she played dead on stage.
She also told the court she had felt “belittled, embarrassed” and “shamed” after the
Pirates of the Caribbean star gestured groping her breasts while bulging his eyes and licking his lips during rehearsals.
Outside the court Ms Norvill said: “I stand by everything I said at trial. I told the truth, I knew what happened, I was there.”
She said she “would have been content to receive a simple apology and promise to do better”, from Mr Rush.
And she said it was time “to make genuine cultural change in our professions and industries. We can do it, but only if we acknowledge and confront with honest the problems and the complexities of the power imbalances in our workplaces”.
The Daily Telegraph’s editor Ben English said: “We are disappointed with Justice Wigney’s findings, in particular his dismissal of Eryn Jean Norvill’s evidence. We disagree with his criticisms of her and she has our full support.
“We will now review the judgment,” he said.
Outside court, Mr Rush said: “There are no winners in this case. It’s been extremely distressing for everyone involved.
“I want to thank my wife Jane and our children for their support during this harrowing time.”
Justice Wigney delivered his long-awaited verdict in the Federal Court yesterday saying Mr Rush should also be awarded a sum to be determined later in lost earnings.
“This is a sad and unfortunate case,” Justice Wigney said to a packed courtroom. “It plainly would have been better for all concerned if the issues that arose had been allowed to be dealt with in a different way ... (to) a defamation proceeding.”
Justice Wigney declined to award Mr Rush the $20 million he had originally sought from the newspaper.