Round up the Barden Bellas: Rebel Wilson has some celebrating to do.
The Guardian reports that the Pitch Perfect star has won her defamation lawsuit against Bauer Media following two days of jury deliberations. Wilson had argued that eight articles published in 2015 by the Bauer magazines Australian Women's Weekly and Woman's Day presented her as a liar, costing her jobs and damaging her reputation.
The articles alleged that she had lied about her age, birth name, and family background. Wilson, who blamed the negative publicity on an old classmate with an axe to grind, claimed that she lost roles in Kung Fu Panda 3 and Trolls as a result of the stories.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
The 37-year-old Australian actress pumped her fist in victory outside the courtroom, telling reporters that she was "extremely happy" with the verdict.
"This has definitely been a long and very hard fight but I felt that I had to take a stand," she said. "I had to stand up to a bully, a huge media organization — Bauer Media Group — who maliciously took me down in May 2015 with a series of grubby and completely false articles.
"It's a win for everybody who gets maliciously taken down when there's no reason that should happen," she continued. "In my case, I'm a successful Australian, I was in a number-one movie all around the world, and the response from this organization was just to maliciously bring me down.
"Tall poppy syndrome happened to me in the worst possible way and it was so hurtful and so disgusting and if they knew me personally they would know that I've worked so hard for everything I've ever got and they wouldn't have done it, it was really disgraceful."
Wilson is expected to receive financial damages, while Bauer Media will "consider it options," according to a statement issued to The Guardian.
Read These Stories Next:
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT