Rebel Wilson won’t keep any of her $4.56m damages from libel settlement
The Pitch Perfect star is giving away her record payout to Australian charities
Published:
Australian actor Rebel Wilson has been awarded $4.56m AUD (£2.76m) in damages after winning her country’s largest libel case – but she won’t be keeping any of the money.
The Pitch Perfect star won her defamation case against Bauer Media in June, and having now learnt the details of her compensation has confirmed that she will be donating the payout to charity, writing on Twitter “I’m looking forward to helping out some great Australian charities and supporting the Oz film industry with the damages I’ve received”.
A jury of six was asked to consider 40 questions and eight claims of defamation relating to allegations by the publisher of Woman’s Day and Australian Women’s Weekly that Wilson had lied about her age, real name and childhood. The jury unanimously agreed that the actor had been incorrectly portrayed as a serial liar.
The $4.56m is four times the largest defamation payout in Australian history, with Wilson awarded $650,000 in general damages and a further $3,917,472 for opportunities of screen roles lost because of the articles.
But in a series of tweets, the Pitch Perfect actor said the “long and hard court battle […] wasn’t about the money”.
Today was the end of a long and hard court battle against Bauer Media who viciously tried to take me down with a series of false articles.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) September 13, 2017
When the jury delivered its verdict they answered every single point in my favour.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) September 13, 2017
Today Justice Dixon accepted that Bauer Media subjected me to a sustained and malicious attack timed to coincide with the launch of Pitch 2
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) September 13, 2017
The judge accepted without qualification that I had an extremely high reputation and that the damage inflicted on me was substantial.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) September 13, 2017
He said the nature of the aggravated defamation and the unprecedented extent of dissemination makes vindication of particular importance.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) September 13, 2017
The judge said he knew that the info from anonymous paid source was false.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) September 13, 2017
I’m looking forward to helping out some great Australian charities and supporting the Oz film industry with the damages I’ve received.
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) September 13, 2017
Thank you again for the love and support! I am humbled x
— Rebel Wilson (@RebelWilson) September 13, 2017
Wilson sat in court for every day of the three-week trial and spent six days in the witness box. However, she was unable to attend the supreme court in Melbourne for the judgement, as she is currently on a visit to London.
