Rebel Wilson just won the biggest defamation payout in Australian history

'The case was never about money’

Rebel Wilson made headlines today when she received the biggest defamation payout in Australian history, winning £2.4 million in her case against Bauer Media.

The case is the result of eight articles published in 2015, reporting that the actress had lied about her name, age and upbringing in order to get ahead in her career.

During the case that took place in June, the 37-year-old actress explained to an all-female jury that the claims were not only untrue but that they had also heavily affected her career. She went on to explain how she had been fired from a Dreamworks film for being ‘too divisive’ for a family movie, and how job offers had dried up after the articles emerged.

While according to the MailOnline Rebel had originally been fighting for a claim of £4.3 million, the actress came away with £2.4 million - £392k in general damages and £2.35 million in special damages for the work opportunities she missed due to the articles.

‘Australia’s leading independent law firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, represented well-known comedian and actor Rebel Wilson in obtaining the largest defamation damages award in Australian legal history, A $4.56 million – four times the previous record,’ Rebel’s lawyers announced in a statement.

After the verdict was announced, the actress released a statement explaining her relief and confirming that she would be donating the proceeds to charity, explaining, 'I'm looking forward to helping out some great Australian charities and supporting the Oz film industry with the damages I've received.