This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
On July 2, 2020, a Sydney court made a significant ruling in the defamation case between actor Geoffrey Rush and the Daily Telegraph, a News Corp subsidiary.
The court rejected an appeal seeking reduced costs and a retrial, paving the way for Rush to receive AU$2 million in compensation for lost earnings and defamation.
This decision marks the latest twist in the ongoing legal battle between Rush and the Daily Telegraph, which accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior towards female cast members in a 2017 front-page article.
The article claimed that the Sydney Theatre Company received a complaint that Rush had inappropriately touched a female co-star during a staging of 'King Lear.'
A Sydney judge had previously described the content as a 'recklessly irresponsible piece of sensationalist journalism.'
Local media reported that the sum awarded to Rush is the largest ever paid to an individual in Australia, which has notoriously strict defamation laws.
Rush, a renowned actor, won the Best Actor Academy Award in 1997 for his role in 'Shine' and is one of the few stars to have also won a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and a Tony Award.
