Rebel Wilson's Pitch Perfect Damages Award In Defamation Case

On 13 September 2017, Justice Dixon handed down the judgement in Wilson v Bauer Media Pty Ltd & Anor [2017] VSC 521 (Wilson v Bauer) in the Supreme Court of Victoria. This decision is unprecedented not only because it marked the largest award of damages in Australian defamation law history, a record AUD 4,578,472, but because of Justice Dixon's decision not to apply what is ordinarily a strictly capped award for general damages.

Background facts

Between 18 May 2015 and 20 May 2015 Bauer Media Pty Ltd and Bauer Media Australia Pty Ltd (the Defendants) published multiple articles, one in a print edition and seven further articles on websites to the effect that Wilson was a "serial liar". The articles claimed that Wilson had "invented fantastic stories... to make it in Hollywood" and that amongst other things, she: ¹