Daily Telegraph loses $2.9m Rush appeal

Liz Main and Max Mason

Jul 2, 2020 – 10.02am

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The Daily Telegraph has lost its bid to to overturn a court ruling it must pay Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush $2.9 million for defaming him after it published news stories claiming he acted inappropriately towards a female co-star during a King Lear theatre production.

Last year the tabloid newspaper appealed the judgment by the Federal Court of Australia over its ruling the Telegraph had published a "recklessly irresponsible piece of sensationalist journalism of the worst kind" and that Mr Rush's accuser, Eryn Jean Norvill, was "prone to exaggeration and embellishment".

Liz Main is a journalist for The Australian Financial Review based in the Melbourne office. Connect with Liz on Twitter. Email Liz at liz.main@afr.com.au

Max Mason covers insolvency, courts, financial crime, cybercrime and corporate wrongdoing. A Walkley Award winner, Max’s journalism has also received awards from the National Press Club of Australia, the Kennedy Awards and Citibank. Message Max on Signal https://tinyurl.com/MaxMason Connect with Max on Twitter. Email Max at max.mason@afr.com