Actor Geoffery Rush has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph over a report it had published about a complaint alleging "inappropriate behaviour" by him.
Last week, in an article that was later deleted, the outlet had reported that the Sydney Theatre Company had received the complaint after the 66-year-old star had starred in a 2015-2016 production of "King Lear".
A couple of days after the allegation was made public, Rush stepped down as the president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA).
In his defamation suit, Rush claims the Daily Telegraph made him out as a "pervert" and "sexual predator" with their "KING LEER" headline, according to Australia's ABC Radio.
"Today I have filed defamation proceedings against The Daily Telegraph in the Federal Court of Australia. It is an action I am taking in order to redress the slurs, innuendo and hyperbole they have created around my standing in the entertainment industry and greater community," Rush said in a press conference in Melbourne.
"The Daily Telegraph has made false, pejorative and demeaning claimssplattering 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 familyand to many colleagues in the Film, Television and Theatre industry. The situation is intolerable and I must now seek vindication of my good name through the courts," the "Pirates of Caribbean" star added.
In a statement posted on the their website, The Daily Telegraph Editor Chris Dore said, "The Daily Telegraph accurately reported the Sydney Theatre Company received a complaint alleging that Mr Geoffrey Rush had engaged in inappropriate behaviour. We will defend our position in court."
A hearing at the Federal Court in Sydney has been set for February 8, the newspaper said.
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