Rush lawyer accuses actress of telling ‘lies’
GEOFFREY Rush’s lawyer has accused an actor who made sexual harassment allegations of “making it up”.
The Hollywood actor is suing the newspaper over a series of 2017 articles which re- ported that his King Lear costar had lodged a complaint with the Sydney Theatre Company over alleged “inappropriate behaviour.”
The actor was later named as Eryn Jean Norvill. In her closing submission Mr Rush’s barrister claimed the Ms Norvill’s “alleged distress” was fabricated and self-serving.
“She told a lot of lies to Your Honour,” Sue Chrysanthou told Justice Michael Wigney.
Ms Chrysanthou said Ms Norvill’s claims must be weighed against “the sea of absent witnesses” and her own evidence which was “rife with contradictions, inconsistencies and recent inventions.”
The newspaper’s lawyer Tom Blackburn SC in his closing address described Ms Norvill as an honest witness who had nothing to to gain from coming forward. Ms Norvill played Mr Rush’s daughter Cordelia in the production and said she felt “trapped” as he “slowly” and “deliberately” ran his fingers over her right breast as she played dead on stage.
Mr Rush denies any wrongdoing and claims two front page articles in the newspaper about the alleged incident painted him as a “pervert” and “sexual predator”.
The hearing continues.