Judge rules in favour of Rush
Geoffrey Rush has successfully blocked the publication of News Corp’s legal defence of articles he claims falsely implied he was a “sexual predator.”
Rush launched defamation proceedings against News Corp and journalist Jonathon Moran last year over two pieces published in Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph in November and December.
According to Guardian Australia, lawyers for the news organization have argued in a Sydney court that the articles in question, one of which ran under the headline “King Leer,” did not make any allegations the 66-year-old star engaged in inappropriate sexual behaviour.
Their full defence will remain secret as on Thursday Justice Michael Wigney agreed with the King ’s Speech star’s lawyer Richard McHugh that News Corp’s response contained rumours and ruled that the public interest in publishing it, even in redacted form, did not outweigh the need to protect Rush’s reputation from further harm. McHugh complained their defence arguments contained “scandalous” claims that had not previously appeared in the tabloid.
Editors published the articles after Sydney Theatre Company chiefs told them in a statement that it had received a complaint against Rush from someone who accused him of “inappropriate behaviour” during a 2015 staging of William Shakespeare’s King Lear. Theatre executives did not disclose any details, as his accuser had asked for their allegation to be dealt with in private.
Rush’s lawyer described the “King Leer” headline and reporting in the two articles as an unfair way of covering an unsubstantiated complaint. News Corp’s lawyers contend that their decision not to publish the “scandalous” material meant they had acted reasonably.
McHugh said that the second article, published with the headline “We’re with you: theatre cast back accuser as Rush denies ‘touching,’ ” could have been interpreted as suggesting the star’s behaviour made him a “sexual predator.” He also criticized editors for linking the complaint against Rush to other recent high profile sexual assault allegations made against Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
The case resumes on Feb. 19. WENN