Geoffrey Rush Reportedly Suffering Greatly Following Defamation Suit Against Sexual Allegations

Not long ago, Deadline reported that Tony winner Geoffrey Rush filed defamation proceedings in Australia's federal court against The Daily Telegraph. The Oscar winner is seeking damages after the news publication reported allegations that the actor behaved inappropriately towards a female cast member during a 2015 production of KING LEAR.

In a brief press conference held in Melbourne, Rush stated:

The Daily Telegraph has made false, pejorative and demeaning claims - splattering them with unrelenting bombast on its front pages.

This has created irreparable damage to my reputation, been extremely hurtful to my wife, my daughter and my son; to my extended family - and to many colleagues in the Film, Television and Theatre industry.

Now Deadline reports that Rush's situation has not improved. His lawyers reportedly said that the actor is "virtually housebound" and his career has been "irreparably damaged". They say he has suffered from association with the #MeToo movement due to what the Telegraph has said about him.

Meanwhile, Nationwide News, the owner of The Telegraph, has filed a cross-claim against the Sydney Theatre Company, an action that if successful will force STC to be jointly liable should defamation be proven.

For more on recent developments in this case, visit Deadline here.

Despite denying the allegations, Rush voluntarily stepped down as President of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts. After announcing his decision, he stated, "It is unreasonable that my professional colleagues should be somehow associated with such allegations."

Rush starred on Broadway in the 2009 revival of EXIT THE KING, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play and Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play.

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