SYDNEY, Australia — Oscar-winning actor Geoffrey Rush was awarded an Australian record of 2.9 million Australian dollars ($2 million) damages by a Sydney judge on Thursday in defamation case against a newspaper publisher and journalist over reports he had been accused of inappropriate behaviour toward an actress. She played the daughter of Rush’s character in a Sydney theatre production of “King Lear” in 2015 and 2016. Wigney at the time awarded Rush AU$850,000 in damages plus AU$42,302 interest for non-economic loss. Following an agreement between the parties, the judge on Thursday awarded Rush a further AU$1.98 million for past and future economic loss. Comic actress Rebel Wilson in 2017 had previously won an Australian record AU$4.7 million damages in a defamation case against a magazine publisher.

Source: National Post May 23, 2019 09:45 UTC