The actress Rebel Wilson wants Bauer Media to pay her $1.3 million legal bill following her successful defamation of the publisher and subsequent $4.5 million payout.
Wilson successfully sued Bauer in the Victorian Supreme Court in September of last year after the judge found that a series of articles in its women’s magazines had portrayed the 38-year-old as as a serial liar.
It was the largest defamation damages payout ever ordered by an Australian court. Interestingly, Wilson offered to settle for $200,000 before the case even went to trial.
Bauer is also appealing the damages awarded to Wilson in a hearing set down for April in the Court of Appeal.
Yesterday, the two sides were back in the Victorian Supreme Court arguing over the amount Wilson should be compensated for her legal expenses.
Wilson was not in Court, but tweeted: “girls just wanna have funds”.
For the defamation case, Wilson hired top QC Matthew Collins to defend her with reports he was paid $9000 a day for the 22-day trial.
It’s understood that Wilson wants her full $1.3 million bill repaid, while Bauer argue the cost should be $200,000 less than that. Bauer does not oppose paying costs, the court was told, but the parties are quibbling over the amount.
“The real issue in dispute is that range of $100,000 to $200,000. That’s what needs to be resolved,” Wilson’s lawyer, Renee Enbom said.
