SYDNEY – Rebel Wilson said she was glad she’d stood up to “a bully” despite losing her bid Friday to keep most of the record payout awarded to her in her defamation case against an Australian magazine.
The actress had sued Woman’s Day magazine last year over a series of articles in 2015 that she said had painted her as someone who’d lied about her real name, age and childhood in order to make it in Hollywood.
The Supreme Court of Victoria state awarded her an Australian-record payout of $3.4 million ($4.7 million AUD) after a jury concluded she’d missed out on film roles because of the articles. Wilson had sought $5 million ($7 million AUD) in damages.
But this June the amount was reduced by 90 percent after the magazine’s publishers, Bauer Media, appealed. Victoria’s Court of Appeal said Wilson could not prove economic loss, or that she’d missed out on film contracts as a result of the articles. The court ordered the actress to pay back almost $3 million ($4.1 million AUD), and 80 percent of Bauer’s legal costs.
Related: Rebel Wilson’s record Australian defamation payout severely slashed
Wilson’s lawyers on Friday sought leave to appeal against the reduction in the High Court – Australia’s highest judicial body – but the application was refused.
Wilson, who sat in the front row of the public gallery during the brief hearing, said outside the court she was glad the process had been brought to an end. She continued her thoughts on Twitter, reflecting on her “long journey in the Australian courts these past few years.”
“I am glad the matter is now at a definite end. I have been determined to stand up to a bully and I am proud of myself for doing so,” she said in a series of tweets Thursday. “To win such a huge case and receive $600 000 in damages from Bauer Media is extremely significant and close to an Australian record!”
Related: Rebel Wilson sues Australian publisher for defamation
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