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Rebel Wilson payout slashed to $600,000

Court finds Rebel Wilson hadn't proven she suffered economic loss and throws out special damages.

Bauer Media will have to pay $600,000 in general damages after successfully appealing the massive payout of $4.5m awarded in her defamation case.

The Victorian Supreme Court of Appeal found she hadn’t proven she suffered economic loss in losing movie roles and should not have been awarded $3.917m in special damages.

A $650,000 sum awarded in general damages was reduced to $600,000.

“This court will set aside the Judge’s Award of damages for non-economic loss. In view of the seriousness of the defamation, and the hurt and distress it has caused Ms. Wilson, this court has re-assessed her damages for non-economic loss at $600,000,” a magistrate said this morning.

“This court has found that the evidence Ms. Wilson relied upon was not sufficient to establish on the balance of probabilities that there existed the valuable lost opportunities for which she contended.

“This court has also found that Ms. Wilson was unable to establish that there was a causal connection between the defamatory publications for which Bauer was responsible and any loss that was suffered.”

The magistrate added, “This court has therefore rejected Ms. Wilson’s claim that she suffered economic loss.”

12 Responses

  1. I don’t get it, how can one judge make a ruleing regarding a multi million payout, and then another judge with the same information cut the payout by millions I just done understand it.

  2. Sorry day, as these Trashy Rags incl Bauer Media will continue writing half truths and lies.
    Also sorry Rebel wont get to send a decent sum to charities as promised.

    1. Except of course that most of what Bauer published was true. It was also published by the SMH who did their own research to prove it and couldn’t be sued ,and it’s now in the public record. Where Bauer erred was claiming that Wilson was a serial liar, citing a source who had a grudge against Wilson. The judge did not follow correct procedure in evaluating damages for economic loss, which is why the sum was reduced. Wilson has had a court rule that the claim she was a serial liar was defamatory and got $600k plus costs, which quite a large defamation settlement. Allowing the $4.5m figure to stand would have intimidated the media out of printing the truth about rich and powerful people.

      1. Correct Pertinax – most of what it published was indeed true, but the serial liar inclusion tipped this. Yes, they needed to be brought back into line, but the original $4.5 m figure was out of line, especially considering the seriously damaging defamation the likes of the Chamberlains and John Brogden copped with their own vile media assaults. I can think of many who deserved big defamation payouts – but Rebel is not on that on that list.

  3. This is really sad as it gives the tabloids free reign to trash everyone again as most celebrities will not go through a painful and costly court case. Hopefully the public wake up and stop buying the trash.

  4. It’s a bummer because it was such a good FU to the tabloids and will hopefully make them think twice in the future but a win is a win.

    One thing I’ve always been puzzled about though is that she’s said that she lost parts because of it? I don’t understand why as she’s so popular in Hollywood and unique, her career never looked like it took a ‘nosedive’. She absolutely deserved to win the lawsuit whether her career suffered or not because it’s appalling behaviour by the tabloids, I was just surprised when I first heard about her career faltering as from the outside looking in she seems an ‘It’ girl.

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