Geoffrey Rush fronted a media conference in Melbourne on Friday to announce that he has filed defamation proceedings against News Corp tabloid The Daily Telegraph after allegations of inappropriate behavior were made against him.
‘Today I have filed defamation proceeding against The Daily Telegraph in the Federal Court of Australia,” the 66-year old Oscar winner told reporters.
“It is an action I am taking in order to redress the slurs, innuendo and hyperbole that they have created around my standing in the entertainment industry and in the greater community,” he said.
“The Daily Telegraph has made false, pejorative and demeaning claims, splattering them with unrelenting bombast on its front pages. This has created irreparable damage to my reputation.”
Rush said the allegations were “extremely hurtful” to his wife, son and daughter as well as to many colleagues in the film, television and theatre industry.
“The situation is intolerable and I must seek vindication of my good name through the courts,” he said.
The Daily Telegraph said in a statement it would “defend its position in court” saying they “accurately reported the Sydney Theatre Company received a complaint alleging that Mr. Geoffrey Rush had engaged in inappropriate behavior.”
The Daily Telegraph on Monday published the allegation, which dates back to a performance of King Lear from 2015, allegations that Rush vigorously denied in a series of statements through his lawyers saying he had not been informed by the STC of the existence, or the nature, of the complaint.
The story forced Rush to step aside as President of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) ahead of its annual awards night on Wednesday at which many attendees supported him.
A court date is yet to be fixed.
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