Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Geoffrey Rush sued a Sydney newspaper for defamation last year
Australian actor Geoffrey Rush has won a defamation case against the publisher of a Sydney newspaper which accused him of inappropriate behaviour towards a former co-star.
Judge Michael Wigney said he was "not satisfied" that the incidents detailed in The Daily Telegraph, published by Nationwide News, had occurred.
He said Mr Rush's former co-star Eryn Norvill's evidence was "inconsistent".
He also said she was "prone to exaggeration and embellishment".
Judge Wigney ruled that Mr Rush, 67, should be awarded A$850,000 (£464,420; $608,680) and would be entitled to more compensation, the exact amount of which would be decided at a later date.
He was originally seeking more than A$25m in damages, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Mr Rush had previously said that his career had been "irreparably damaged" by the newspaper's reports.
The alleged incidents detailed in The Daily Telegraph article date back to a 2015 theatre production of King Lear in which Mr Rush acted alongside Ms Norvill.
res_ipsa_redditor on April 11st, 2019 at 09:21 UTC »
All because the newspaper couldn’t help themselves from running the headline “King Leer”. The pun was too juicy to give up.
boatswain1025 on April 11st, 2019 at 08:32 UTC »
I've seen reports he could get damages in the millions, if not tens of millions due to loss contracts.
Good on him, hope he bleeds Rupert Murdoch's propaganda rag dry
ionised on April 11st, 2019 at 07:41 UTC »
Arrr! Barbossa has set the record straight, aye!