Geoffrey Rush wins defamation case

Actor Geoffrey Rush has been awarded $850,000 in damages for defamation against The Daily Telegraph over the publication of allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the theatre.

Actor Geoffrey Rush has been awarded $850,000 in damages for defamation against The Daily Telegraph over the publication of allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the theatre.

Justice Michael Wigney delivered his long-awaited verdict in the Supreme Court of NSW today and said he “had concerns” about “credibility and reliability” of the main witness in the trial, actress Eryn Jean Norvill.

During the three-week trial Ms Norvill had told the court she had felt “trapped” as Mr Rush “slowly” and “deliberately” ran his fingers over her right breast as she played dead on stage.

Geoffrey Rush (centre) arrives at the court. Picture: Dylan Coker

She also told the court she had felt “belittled, embarrassed” and “shamed” after the Pirates of the Caribbean star gestured groping her breasts while bulging his eyes and licking his lips during rehearsals.

Outside the court Ms Norvill said: “I stand by everything I said at trial. I told the truth, I knew what happened, I was there.”

She said she “would have been content to receive a simple apology and promise to do better,” from Mr Rush.

Eryn Jean Norvill arriving at court. Picture: Jonathan Ng

And she said it was time “to make genuine cultural change in our professions and industries. We can do it, but only if we acknowledge and confront with honestly the problems and the complexities of the power imbalances in our workplaces.

“It has to be possible for a young woman working in the theatre who feels unsafe in her workplace to get that situation fixed. I will be spending a lot of my time on that issue from here on end, and I’m very much looking forward to getting back to my acting too.”

And she thanked Orange is the New Black actress Yael Stone, “who had the courage to speak out and lend her voice towards making positive and lasting cultural change a reality.”

After the trial Ms Stone told the New York Times that during a 2010 production of Diary of A Madman, Mr Rush tried to spy on her while she showered, danced naked in front of her backstage, and sent her sexually suggestive texts.

Mr Rush said Ms Stone’s allegations were “incorrect and in some instances have been taken completely out of context”.

The Daily Telegraph’s editor Ben English said: “We are disappointed with Justice Wigney’s findings, in particular his dismissal of Eryn Jean Norvill’s evidence. We disagree with his criticisms of her and she has our full support.

“We will now review the judgment,” he said.

Outside the court, Mr Rush said: “There are no winners in this case. It’s been extremely distressing for everyone involved.

“I want to thank my wife Jane and our children for their support during this harrowing time.”

Justice Michael Wigney delivered his long-awaited verdict in the Federal Court today saying Mr Rush should also be awarded a sum to be determined later in lost earnings.

“This is a sad and unfortunate case,” Justice Wigney said to a packed courtroom. “It plainly would have been better for all concerned if the issues that arose had been allowed to be dealt with in a different way ... (to) a defamation proceeding.”

Justice Wigney declined to award Mr Rush the $20 million he had originally sought from the newspaper.

Mr Rush, 67, sued The Daily Telegraph over a series of articles in late 2017 which reported that an unnamed actress had lodged a complaint with The Sydney Theatre Company over alleged “inappropriate behaviour” during the STC’s production of King Lear in 2015-16.

The actress was later identified as Eryn Jean Norvill, 34, who played Rush’s daughter Cordelia in the STC production of King Lear. She was in court with her family to hear the judgement.

Mr Rush said in his lawsuit The Daily Telegraph had accused him of engaging in “scandalously inappropriate behaviour” in the theatre

In his testimony at trial the Melbourne-based actor said he had been unable to work as a result of the articles. His lawyers submitted he was “virtually housebound” in 2018 apart from trips to Los Angeles, Italy, London and Adelaide.

The Oscar winner had denied any wrongdoing and argued two front page articles painted him as a “pervert” and “sexual predator”.

The newspaper argued the stories published on November 30 and December 1 2017 drew on allegations by Ms Norvill and were true.