Geoffrey Rush has really cleaned up from his #MeToo controversy!
The 67-year-old thespian has been awarded $1.9 million after winning a defamation case against Nationwide News over a story published in the Australian media company’s Daily Telegraph that accused him of sexual misconduct.
These accusations were made by Eryn Jean Norvill, who alleged that Rush had acted inappropriately towards her when they costarred in a Sydney production of Shakespeare‘s King Lear from 2015 to 2016.
In an article titled “King Leer,” the Telegraph detailed the actress’ claims that Rush had allegedly touched her inappropriately, chased her into a bathroom, and sent her salacious text messages.
Related: This ‘OITNB’ Star Also Accused Geoffrey Of Misconduct…
Rush had vehemently denied the accusations, with his reps releasing the following statement:
“Mr. Rush has not been approached by the Sydney Theatre Company and the alleged complainant nor any representative of either of them concerning the matter you have raised. In other words, there has been no provision of any details, circumstances, allegations or events that can be meaningfully responded to … It is a great disappointment to Mr. Rush the STC has chosen to smear his name and unjustifiably damage his reputation in this way. Not to afford a person their right to know what has been alleged against them let alone not inform them of it but release such information to the public is both a denial of natural justice and is not how our society operates.”
In April, Australia’s Justice Michael Wigney seemed to agree with him.
At the time, the federal court judge ruled that the Telegraph had been “extravagant and reckless” in its reporting, calling the article “a recklessly irresponsible piece of sensational journalism of the worst kind.” Wigney also added that Norvill had been “prone to exaggeration.”
For the record, the actress had made the allegations in a private workplace complaint to the Sydney Theatre Company, and later agreed to testify for the paper. She continues to maintain that her claims are true.
Related: Roseanne Barr Calls #MeToo Movement Activists ‘Hoes’
The Pirates of the Caribbean star was awarded more than $600,000 in damages when he officially won the defamation suit last month.
Thursday’s payout, meanwhile, was to compensate the actor on financial losses as a result of the defamation — losses that the judge had ruled would continue in the future.
According to BBC News, this $1.9 mil sum is the largest ever defamation payout to a single person in Australia. Though it’s still much less than the original $20 million in damages the Hollywood veteran had been asking for…
[Image via FayesVision/WENN]
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