Actress Rebel Wilson wins £2.7m in libel case against Bauer Media

The record sum may affect future cases in Australia, but the ruling’s impact may not extend beyond its borders. Why did she become a victim of “tall poppy syndrome?”

Comedian Rebel Wilson has been given Dollars 3.6 million (AUSD 4.6Million) compensation for being defamed by “bully” media publisher.

And on Wednesday (13Sep17), Justice John Dixon determined the amount Wilson would receive in damages, stating that the large amount was required to “vindicate” the 37-year-old screen star, as her reputation as an “actress of integrity (has been) wrongly damaged”.

In June, a jury found Ms Wilson was defamed by Woman’s Day print and web articles which ran in May 2015, imputing “a level of dishonesty ranging from being a serial liar to having lied to people about her age and where she grew up”, said Justice Dixon.

Actress and comedian Rebel Wilson has been awarded more than AUS$4.5 million (€3 million) after she took a successful defamation case against a media company.

Bauer Media has always denied the articles were defamatory. Australians are more prone to it than British people.

“During the case, Wilson and her lawyers argued that the articles were inaccurate and damaged her reputation which caused her to lose two roles, E!”

“I think she’s going to be absolutely stoked and she’ll probably say she crushed it”.

He said the harms were four times the past record for defamation harms in Australia.

The court heard that, before trial, Wilson was eager to agree to $200,000.

About $3.9 million was awarded in special damages to compensate Ms Wilson for roles lost after her defamation of character by the publications. “You know, I don’t have a drug addiction or a secret child”. I don’t have a weird sex tape or a criminal history. Bauer will also be asked to pay Wilson’s court costs.

Wilson describes herself as a “cashed-up bogan” from a family that bred dogs for shows and ran a caravan business called Petcetera Etcetera selling animal toys and dog chocolates.

Former Woman’s Day journalist Shari Nementzik told the court she did not think the source was “completely unreliable”.

Wilson tweeted after the decision, saying Bauer Media’s “series of false articles” were a “sustained and malicious attack timed to coincide” with one of her movies, Pitch Perfect 2.