Rebel Wilson Victorious In Defamation Case Vs. Bauer Media: ‘Pitch Perfect’ Star To Rebuild Career

INQUISITR.COM / Celebrities
By Louise Bonquin
Published on: 2017-06-15T22:52:05
rebel wilson

Rebel Wilson was the winner in the defamation lawsuit she filed against Bauer Media group. The jury found that the publisher smeared her reputation by writing articles that made her appear as a liar.

The Pitch Perfect actress sued Bauer Media after a series of articles about her were released in May, 2015. She alleged that the write-ups badly ruined her image because she was portrayed as a serial liar in the articles. The stories affected her career as well, and she was out of work for more than a year.

According to Wilson, the false articles made her lose leading role projects. She added that she was fired from two big films, Kung Fu Panda 3 and Trolls, after the articles were circulated.

Following her victory, Rebel Wilson held a press conference where she said she was very happy with the result. She also shared that the wait for the verdict stressed her out so much that she turned to “stress eating” a block of Cadbury and a bag of chicken chips.

“I’m glad, very glad, that the jury has agreed with me and by the unanimous, overwhelming verdict they have sent a very, very clear message,” Wilson said. “I appreciate the support, it’s been very, very tough to fight this huge company but I’ve done it and I’m grateful it’s all over, so thank you so much.”

Rebel Wilson Defamation Case
Rebel Wilson speaks to the media on June 15, 2017 after winning the defamation lawsuit against Bauer Media. [Image by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images]

The actress added that she really loves her work and now that the record has been finally straightened, she look forward to gaining back her good reputation and start rebuilding her career.

Further, with her win, Wilson has too much to gain. First, she proved that she is not a liar and second, she could also gain millions of dollars as compensation for defamation.

The all-female, six-member jury sided with Wilson after deliberating for two days and coming up with the verdict. Before announcing their decision, the jury was requested to take into account some 40 questions and eight magazine articles that potentially defamed the complainant.

The write-ups were published in Australian Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, OK! Magazine, and NW. The jury affirmed that all eight articles indeed maliciously slandered Ms. Wilson after they accused her of lying about her real name, age, and childhood.

Likewise, the panel found that all eight articles made Wilson appear to be a serial liar, which is totally untrue. In the end, the 37-year-old Pitch Perfect star had to endure serious harm due to the false accusations.

Finally, the presiding judge of the case, John Dixon, will now go over the degree of impact that the false claims had on Rebel Wilson’s career. This process will determine how much the complainant will be awarded in damages.

[Featured Image by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images]