“Reputation destroyed”: Geoffrey Rush attends defamation case
Three week trial between Geoffrey Rush and publishers of Daily Telegraph begins in Sydney.
- Published by David Knox
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Geoffrey Rush today attended the Federal Court in Sydney as his defamation case began against Newscorp’s Nationwide News, the publisher of The Daily Telegraph, and journalist Jonathan Moran.
Rush is suing over “King Leer” and subsequent articles published last November which his lawyer Brice McClintock SC says have damaged his reputation.
The articles alleged he acted inappropriately towards actress Eryn Jean Norvill during a Sydney Theatre Company (STC) production of King Lear in 2015-16.
McClintock said Norvill made an “off the record” complaint to the STC, but The Daily Telegraph “very much put (it) on the record”.
The Telegraph, McClintock said, had been desperate for the story after being “gazumped” by Fairfax Media over the Don Burke story.
He told the court Rush earned $1.5 million from July 1 to November 30 last year, but had made only $44,000 since then.
“His reputation was stellar, it could not have been higher,” McClintock said.
“There was no scandal attached to it.
“His reputation was that of a consummate professional, an actor devoted to his craft.”
He said the article implied Mr Rush “was a pervert, involved in inappropriate behaviour [and] engaged in inappropriate behaviour at the Sydney Theatre Company”.
“Care wasn’t shown here,” McClintock said.
“This was a straight-up full-blown attack on my client along what they said he had done.
“The Telegraph knew it was a lie. If that is not malice, then I don’t know what is.”
Rush was silent outside the court but appeared on the stand briefly before the lunch break on Monday.
“It was devastating, my son was home [and] Jane [his wife] was home,” he said of the story. “I could see how distressed they were which created a great deal of hurt for me. I felt as though someone had poured lead in my head. I went into a kind of, ‘this can’t be happening’, I was numb.”
When The Daily Telegraph approached the STC for comment it was provided with a statement saying: “The STC received a complaint alleging Mr Rush had engaged in inappropriate behaviour. The complainant has requested that their identity has been withheld.”
The hearing is expected to last 3 weeks. Moran will not appear during the trial.
Source: ABC, News Corp The Guardian (Updated)