The actress Rebel Wilson has accused Australian media outlets of “collusion” after some of Australia’s biggest news organisations joined with Bauer Media to fight her record-breaking $4.5 million defamation win.
Wilson, of course, 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.
As reported on B&T on Friday, Wilson is now seeking legal damages, too, reported to be $1.3 million.
Bauer is appealing against the record damages bill it was ordered to pay Wilson, in a case that is set down to be heard in the Victorian Court of Appeal on April the 18th.
A number of media organisations – including the ABC, Fairfax and News Corp – have lodged an application to intervene in the appeal alongside Bauer Media believing the record payout is too high.
Yesterday, Wilson took to Twitter to slam what she believes is “collusion” and defending “trashy tabloids” that deliberately make up “rubbish stories”.
“If there are ANY decent journalists in Australia, I’d love to see you writing a story about how a trashy tabloid company owned by German billionaires, proven guilty of malicious defamation, suddenly needs the help of every other major media organisation in Australia?” she tweeted.
“What reputable Australian journalist or media organization, (*cough* hello, ABC who is funded by taxpayers *cough*) would stand with ‘journalists’ who have been proven guilty of making up rubbish stories and printing them knowing they are fake, all in the name of corporate greed. There is clear media collusion and they are now twisting what was a very simple story,” Wilson wrote.
She then added: “For me, this case was never about the money. It was about restoring my reputation and my career, something I am working tirelessly to rebuild after the significant setbacks Bauer Media caused me by their negative, defamatory articles back in May 2015.
“They have employed a PR firm and are colluding with every major Australian media organisation (except for Ch 10 *smile face*) on misreporting and spinning their brute behavior (sic),” she posted.
In a statement published on its website, a spokesperson for the ABC denied it was colluding with Bauer Media.
“We have joined with other media organisations in making a separate application to the court on a different question of law,” it said.
“Our application concerns the statutory cap on damages. This is an important issue affecting all Australian media organisations.”
