Geoffrey Rush’s lawyers flag break up link in Eryn Jean Norvill complaint

Lawyers for Hollywood actor Geoffrey Rush have flagged they’re probing another cause behind complainant Eryn Jean Norvill’s distress.

***RETRANSMITTING FOR ALL IMAGES WITH OBJECT NAME*** GEOFFREY RUSH COURT*** CHANGING TO FEDERAL COURT*** Australian actor Geoffrey Rush (left) is seen at the Federal Court in Sydney, Wednesday, July 4, 2018. The virtually housebound actor Geoffrey Rush has ventured into Sydney's Federal Court to attend mediation related to his defamation case against the Daily Telegraph. The actor was snapped entering and leaving the court on Wednesday, as was journalist Jonathon Moran. (AAP Image/Brendan Esposito) NO ARCHIVING

Lawyers for Hollywood actor Geoffrey Rush today flagged they are investigating a possible link between a sexual harassment complaint made by actress Eryn Jean Norvill against their famous client and her distress at the time over a relationship break up, a court has heard.

Rush, 67, sued The Daily Telegraph last December after it reported a sexual harassment complaint by Norvill while she was co-starring with Rush in the Sydney Theatre Company’s production of King Lear from November 2015 to January 2016.

In an application before Federal Court justice Michael Wigney this morning, Rush’s barrister, Bruce McClintock SC, said documents revealing Norvill was going through a break up at the time and “details going to the core of that relationship and the end of it” could be relevant to the complaint by Ms Norvill’’.

The court heard this included emails between Norvill and another person as well notes taken during her sessions with a counsellor.

“We say there is a reference here (that) suggests another possible cause of distress,’ Mr McClintock said.

“There is no rational basis on which my client could be denied access to those statements.”

But Norville’s lawyer, Lyndelle Barnett, said Rush’s legal team were engaged in a “classic fishing” exercise “trawling to see if there is anything to effect Ms Norvill’s credit”.

“The applicant might put the submission that the cause of Ms Norvill’s distress was a break up, not Mr Rush’s conduct,’ Ms Barnett said.

“The applicant (Mr Rush) has everything that could even touch on this case,’ Ms Barnett said. “.. What is now being sought is to go beyond documents concerning the complainant’s allegations and go over a three-year period.”

Justice Wigney rejected Mr McClintock’s subpoena application for all documents on Norvill between 10 October 2015 to the present on the grounds they were “too broad’. But he agreed a chain of emails related to Norvill’s relationship breakdown should be made available to Rush’s team.

Last month The Daily Telegraph amended its defence to include the defence of truth, based on Ms Norvill’s testimony.

Mr Rush has denied all allegations of wrongdoing claiming the articles in The Daily Telegraph were false.