Rebel Wilson was all-smiles to be awarded over a stunning $4.5 million (in Australian dollars) win today.
This followed what Wilson described as a “long and hard court battle” that found the defendant, Bauer Media, guilty.
The shockingly large sum is the single biggest pay-out in Australian history. At Australia’s Supreme Court, Justice John Dixon indicated that the damages suffered by Wilson were worth “substantial” payment. The pay-out doled-out $650,000 in general damages, including aggravated damages, plus $3,917,472 in special damages: the roles and opportunities lost due to the articles published by Bauer Media.
In a series of Tweets, Wilson commented on the case.
“The judge accepted without qualification that I had an extremely high reputation and that the damage inflicted on me was substantial. He said the nature of the aggravated defamation and the unprecedented extent of dissemination makes vindication of particular importance. The judge said he knew that the info from anonymous paid source was false... and that Bauer Media traded recklessly on my reputation in order to boost its own profits.”
The money, she added, would be donated to charity.
The damages sought were in part due to the timing of the articles published, which followed the highly visible release of Pitch Perfect 2. Though Victoria, where Melbourne is located, caps defamation lawsuits at $385,500, Justice John Dixon made an exception due to the severity of the case, stating the case warranted an award of aggravation.
“The jury’s verdict established Bauer Media’s publications had branded Ms Wilson a serial liar who had fabricated almost every aspect of her life,” he stated. “The jury rejected the defences of substantive truth, triviality and statutory qualified privilege.”
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