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Bauer Media Group. Bad Reputation.

Back in May of 2015, the Australian magazine called Woman’s Day wrote an article on the famous actress, writer and producer, Rebel Melanie Wilson that the magazine has now undoubtedly come to regret. The story in question claimed that Wilson had been misleading about her birth name, age, and upbringing. Furthermore, Wilson said that a year later, in May of 2016, there were articles published in the Australian Women’s Weekly, NW and OK! Magazine, which made her out to be a serial liar.
Ms. Wilson filed a defamation lawsuit in the Supreme Court of Victoria against Germany-based Bauer Media Group, the owner of the magazines.  Wilson’s claim was that she had suffered a bad reputation because of the articles, and had felt humiliated and embarrassed.
The verdict came in on Thursday, September 14th of this year. A jury of six women handed down the unanimous verdict in favor of the actress.
Justice John Dixon said the damages suffered by Wilson warranted a “substantial” payment. The judge awarded Wilson over $4.5 Million, with interest and costs to be determined at a later date.

False Articles.

During the case, Bauer Media was unable to prove that the articles were substantially true. According to Wilson she stated that she was fired from two DreamWorks films, “Kung Fu Panda 3” and “Trolls,” because she had become “too divisive”.“Today was the end of a long and hard court battle against Bauer Media who viciously tried to take me down with a series of false articles,” Wilson said in a series of tweets on her Twitter profile.
Wilson went on to say, “The judge accepted without qualification that I had an extremely high reputation and that the damage inflicted on me was substantial. He said the nature of the aggravated defamation and the unprecedented extent of dissemination makes vindication of particular importance. The judge said he knew that the info from anonymous paid source was false … and that Bauer Media traded recklessly on my reputation in order to boost its own profits.”
Ms. Wilson has stated that she plans to help out some wonderful Australian charities and supporting the Oz film industry with the damages that she has received.
That’s it for now. I am Attorney Francine Ward helping you protect what’s yours. Join my conversation on my Law Facebook Page, my Law Twitter Page, my Google+ Page, and in a discussion on my LinkedIn Page.
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