Six big Australian media groups had attempted to join Bauer Media's appeal against the A$4.5 million award to Rebel Wilson.
Rebel Wilson has accused Australian media firms of “colluding” with a magazine publisher in a collective bid to overturn the record payout for defamation that she recently won.
The 38 year old Pitch Perfect star was awarded a payout of $4.5 million Australian dollars back in September 2017, when she won a defamation lawsuit she had brought against Bauer Media, after articles they had published portraying Wilson as a habitual liar. Bauer Media has appealed against the fine, the biggest ever handed down in Australia.
However, a bid by six other Australian media groups to join Bauer’s appeal was rejected on Thursday (March 22nd) by the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Rebel Wilson slammed six media groups attempting to join Bauer Media's appeal
News Corp Australia, Fairfax Media, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Nine Network, Seven Network and Macquarie Group had argued that the unprecedented size of the payout could have the effect of suffocating investigative journalism that is in the public interest. However, Justice Pamela Tate ruled that their joint application was not sufficiently different from Bauer’s own appeal.
More: Rebel Wilson fighting to recover money spent fighting Bauer Media
Following the ruling, Wilson herself took to Twitter to applaud the judge’s decision and condemn the media groups for attempting to pile on the bandwagon.
“Ch 7, Ch 9, ABC, News Corp, Fairfax & Macquarie Media should be embarrassed about colluding with @bauermedia and for unfairly and inappropriately reporting on my appeal and costs hearing over the past few months,” the star wrote. “It’s about holding a company to account when it’s done the wrong thing.”
The media organisations did not comment on the ruling immediately afterwards, but their lawyer has previously expressed concern about the payout to Wilson.
“This sets a precedent because if someone has an aggravated damages claim then they can be given unlimited damages - the sky is the limit,” Justin Quill said back in February.
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