Pirates star Rush in touch claim row
Actor Geoffrey Rush has quit as president of Australia’s screen industry academy after a theatre firm said they received a complaint of “inappropriate behaviour”.
The Pi rates of the Caribbean star denied the accusation at the Sydney Theatre Company, with the a l legat ion repor tedly dating from his role in the staging of King Lear two years ago.
Oscar winner Rush, 66, said: “Certain recent media r epor t s hav e made untenable a l legat ions concerning my standing in the enter tainment community.”
He added that it was u n r e a s on a b l e that col leagues should be associated with such a l l e g a t ion s a nd he had decided to step aside in his ambassadorial role a s pre s ident of the Austral ian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts unti l those issues had been resolved.
A ACTA s a id t he y supported a course of action respecting Rush’s right to the presumption of innocence but their acceptance of his resignation was “good corporate governance”.
The Sydney Theatre Company have not disclosed details of the allegation.
Sydney’s Daily Telegraph cited two unnamed sources who said an actress had accused Rush of touching her inappropriately.
Rush’s lawyers said his treatment of people he worked with had been “impeccable”.